Slayer X
by theICEBear
Summary: Set after season 1 of Buffy and just after the 2nd X-men movie. Buffy has recovered from a slight case of death. But her death will change the path of Buffy, Willow and Xander, a path that will change each of their lives for good.
1. Sundering Changes, part 1

**Slayer X**

_-A crossover fiction by theICEBear_

**Disclaimer:** All characters portrayed in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel", all "X-Men" titles and the Marvel Universe are the exclusive property of their creators and licensees. They are used here without their approval. No infringement is intended by the following work. The story in the following work is the exclusive property of the author indicated in the byline above and this work may not be posted, reproduced or edited without the express approval of the author as named above. No direct commercial gain may come from any reproduction of this work.

**Summary:** Set after season 1 of Buffy and just after the 2nd X-men movie. Buffy has recovered from a slight case of death. But her death will change the path of Buffy, Willow and Xander, a path leading each of them into the prejudiced and persecuted world of the mutants, each on their own path in a world filled with challenges.

**Author's Notes:** This is AU of course but I will do my utmost to maintain the integrity of the characters however be forewarned this is mostly set in the X-Men part of the Marvel Universe but I won't be ignoring the Buffyverse and there will be characters involved from both verses. While mostly Buffy-centric this should be more along the lines of a Scoobies fic than a Buffy only fic with all of the emphasis on Xander and Willow aside from Buffy. The aftereffects of Buffy's death at the hands of the Master will be different than in the TV series. I am also moving the Buffy timeline up to be around 2003 to fit in better with the X-Men movies. Another important note is that I while I am very well versed in the X-Men comics universe, it is just too much of a complex world to use as a basis for a crossover so instead I am basing myself off the movies, but I will be using elements and characters from the comic books so in case you get bewildered Wikipedia is a friend. Also don't expect the events of the third movie to happen, because I'd like to have Cyclops and Xavier around. There will be romance in this story but not at first and its not the main component of this story. This is a story written by an adult using no filters. I will use curse words and there will be descriptions of graphic violence and worse.

Sundering Changes, part 1

She knew something was wrong. It had been wrong since that night. Buffy could feel it. It wasn't even just the knowledge that she had lost, but it was the shame. The feeling of the knowledge that she had given up when he had bitten her. The Master had been her mortal enemy and for a moment she had chosen not to fight out of fear, but also out of something else, something she couldn't consciously remember. She had been weak and he had instantly defeated her. And since that night it had been different. She had felt off. Sure she had gone through that bastard like he was no challenge afterwards. She had felt different, stronger, but now the feeling had faded.

All that was left for her, was the stark realization that one day probably soon her life would truly end in a manner close to the one she had already tried. She could talk herself into enjoying stuff occasionally like when she was with Xander and Willow yesterday or when she had heard about possibly spending the summer with her dad. Although she never told anyone about it no longer felt like being with anyone helped as much as it had in the past. She sighed and stared out the window at the tree shadowing her window. Two more days before her dad was supposed to show up and she had better get at least adept at pretending to be okay. She had to put on a happy face for her dad. He had always been a lot more sensitive about her weirdness than her mom. So much so that he had hurt her more than once with his attitude even if she feared he hadn't even done that intentionally.

"Buffy, honey, can you come down a moment?" her mom yelled.

"Coming," she yelled back wondering what her mom wanted. She kicked off with one leg lightly and pushed off with her arm. She was used to doing it. With her slayer strength it would usually propel her off the bed up to standing.

It didn't. Buffy didn't even make it halfway then fell back onto the bed. She wrinkled her brow. She was used to doing that almost every day. It had never failed before. She wondered for a moment then got up normally and headed downstairs.

Her mom was standing at the front door at the bottom of the stairs looking confused. Giles was standing next to her looking almost dazed and happy to see her. "Buffy, your High School librarian is here to see you," her mom said and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Why? I mean. Hi there. So Mr. Giles what is this about?" Buffy asked not really knowing what lie to tell.

"Oh, eh, right, I wanted to speak with you about the damages the library sustained during the earthquake. The Principal came to me claiming that people saw your friends and you near the school and he has made certain accusations that some of the damage was not made by the quake. Now I believe I can convince him otherwise, but I would like to hear all about what you saw that night. Mrs. Summers, if I may talk to Buffy alone for a moment," Giles said.

Buffy tried hard not to protest until she realized replaying Giles' explanation in her head that he was lying to her mom and then decided still to say something. "I didn't do anything," she protested.

"And I believe you, but please I just want to ask a few questions," Giles said.

"Really that principal sounds completely unreasonable. You haven't been in any trouble have you Buffy?" her mom asked.

Buffy winced at the remark. She hated constantly lying to her mom and being thought of as some sort of delinquent. "Mom you've met my friends right. Xander, normal teen without an attitude and Willow, you know cute shy redhaired genius-girl. Not exactly gang-bangers now are they?" she replied.

"No no, of course not, Mr. Giles is it? Yes, well you must understand, my daughter hasn't done anything," her mom said.

Buffy could her mom building her tone up towards asking Giles to do with just that answer. "Mom, it's okay. Mr. Giles is a good friend and one of the teachers I trust. We'll be fine alone," she said.

Giles smiled proudly and Buffy had to fight to keep from blushing. She didn't like telling the older man just how much she appreciated him especially after finding out he had been planning to face the Master instead of her knowing it would have been fatal for him even to try. She still had somehow to find the words to say as a thank you.

"Fine, but just a few simple questions right?" her mom said.

"Right," she agreed while Giles nodded. Her mom nodded and left.

Buffy glanced after her mom. "So is the world ending again," she asked looking once again at her Watcher wondering why he was there. She felt so tired thinking that her calling was probably already asking more of her.

"I'm sorry for coming here like this. I understand we have to do this quickly. Buffy, I am coming from a long phone call with the Council. It is important you understand I have never heard of this happening before. It seems that you really did die in the Master's cave. The powers and the destiny of the Slayer have been passed to another girl. You should be experiencing the effects of the loss already. You'll find that your powers are dwindling as we speak. The need to fight and hunt will be dropping quickly as well. Most importantly a seer, I contacted privately, assured me that you should be experiencing a change in your life and destiny meaning your life will change back to something completely different from the supernatural. Demons and Apocalyptic events shouldn't be continually intruding on your life as long as you don't seek them out," he said.

Buffy gaped. She was unsure what to think, what to say. It was supposed to be for life. She had resigned herself. Suddenly she had been given it all back. Two years of hell fighting nearly every night and now she was out of it. Out of a destiny that was supposed to never let you go alive. You were chosen, you fought and then you died. That was it. Her being chosen should have been a death sentence. Maybe it had. "Is it true? It can't be. I am not the Slayer anymore? I'm old hat, retired, over with. . . Safe?" she asked and couldn't keep from shedding a tear. It felt like a huge weight slowly lifted.

Giles nodded and smiled. "Oh, Giles," she said and embraced him. Buffy leaned back and looked at him. He looked both happy and supremely uncomfortable. She realized this could be the end of their life together. Strangely for all that she resisted her duty, she didn't want to loose Giles as a friend. He had been so good, even stiff as he was, at translating the complications of life into something she understood.

Apparently Giles realized what she was thinking. "No, no, I won't be leaving. Sunnydale is still the hotspot for dangerous activity at the moment. The new Slayer will be dispatched to come here and help. I'll be taking over her training. Her name is Kendra and she comes from Jamaica according to what I've been told. Of course you'll always be welcome in the library. In fact I would be quite cross if I didn't see you there often. And honestly at least for a while I'll keep an eye on you Buffy, I want to protect you from any retribution resulting from your past career," he explained.

Buffy thought about things for a moment. She'd still be living in Sunnydale. She'd be like Willow and Xander. But Willow was a genius and Xander was a guy who could fight. She'd be just a girl with the memories of how to fight and only cheerleader training to defend herself with. She'd be completely useless. Suddenly life in Sunnydale didn't look all that good. The ray of sunshine that had entered her life a moment ago wasn't about to make everything come up roses.

"Are you done?" her mom asked walking in from the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah, we're done. I won't be in any trouble anymore," she replied. In her mind she realized that she had a chance at actually making her mom proud. Go to college, live a normal life. She wondered if she could shake her recent life off as easily as that though.

"Thank you for your information, Buffy. It should be fine. I will make sure the principal understands that you were not in any way involved in any of vandalism," Giles said and nodded politely to her mom.

"Have a good day the both of you," Giles said as her mom opened the door for him.

"Bye, Giles," she called out.

"Goodbye, Mr. Giles, thank you for helping my daughter," her mom said.

"No problem. Have a good day the both of you," he said and walked to his beaten up wreck of a Citroen.

Buffy felt a need for a moment and grabbed her mom into a tight hug. She was feeling elated and happy all of a sudden. No matter the cold shudders and horror the thoughts of that night in the caves beneath Sunnydale the Master had done her a favor and she had done her duty in return. She was free now. She fought back a tear not wanting her mom to ask why she was suddenly tearing up.

"Is something wrong?" her mom asked.

"No, everything is fine. Better than that even. Mom, how about I help with dinner and then we should go watch a movie tonight. I'll pay," she said. Her mom stared at her for a moment.

"Is everything alright?" her mom reiterated.

"Mom, I'm going away for nearly three months to stay with dad. I'm gonna miss you heaps. Of course I wanna spend a bit more time with you before I go," she said and suddenly thought of Willow and Xander. She wanted to call her friends as soon as possible.

--

Angel wondered about how Buffy was. He hadn't sought her out since the night she had defeated the Master and prevented his Ascension as well as the opening of the Hellmouth. He was hoping to go sneak a peak soon, but he wasn't sure if it was the best of ideas. They hadn't talked about what happened and how she felt. He knew that it would be wearing on her getting defeated by the Master.

There was a cautious knock on his door. Life in Sunnydale especially as a Vampire was dangerous and so he edged up to the door with a stake in hand. "Who is there?" he called out.

"It's me," the accented voice of Whistler replied.

Angel winced. Visits from the Balance demon could not mean anything good especially since the last time he had seen him, had been the night Whistler had warned him about the Harvest. He unbolted his door and opened it. The short jacketed human-looking demon slipped inside.

"Man, the town is quieter than usual, but I still would rather play tag in a minefield than running around here by night," Whistler said and turned towards him. "Your girl died. Yet she still walks the Earth. I didn't figure that would happen."

"You knew she'd die?" Angel ask feeling both his and his demon's anger rising. Angelus hidden inside him had an unhealthy infatuation with Buffy that often scared Angel.

"Yeah, the prophecy wasn't exactly some big secret. Buffy was meant to do this and die. She was supposed to be too good for this world anyway right. There was an outside chance she might have won the fight, but really she was prophesied to die and we figured then you'd kill the Master after he got to the surface. All would then be well in the world until the next crisis especially with the next Slayer already on her way here. But your love life and the fact that the girl in question is still alive and kicking might have put the world in danger until the Powers fixed that problem," Whistler said.

"How so?" he asked already not liking the idea of where this was going.

"Your Buffy doesn't have the Slayer destiny and its associated perks anymore. She is no longer destined to wrangle with the supernatural on a nightly basis. She's out of our play. . . I should tell you that the different powers can actually get really pissy about their rules and little play pens. So they're looking at you in a way I don't like. Either way when your -- shall we call him an acquaintance -- brought the girl back she got pushed out of the Slayer roster and is actually free to have a longer life expectancy than a fruit fly. However this doesn't let you off the hook. You're still needed here because this next Slayer is going to need you even more than the last one. She, I am told, doesn't have the old one's creativity or a life to make her want to stay in the fight for long. You also need to get this into your head right now. What kind of life can you offer a girl who is not even the Slayer anymore? Even worse what life could you have offered a Slayer? You should have thought on this a long time ago. But you didn't think with your head did you. You're forgetting why you're suffering. I know I know. Love. A grand concept. Not meant for you," Whistler said.

Angel felt white hot anger and grabbed Whistler's collar: "Since when is my choices, my interest in Buffy any of your business."

Whistler looked him in the eye something telling him that the demon was not intimidated at all and said, "You're a creature of darkness Angel. She was a Champion of the Light. That was bad enough. Do you really understand what damage you could do to her? She's a kid. You were supposed to be the adult. Alright I will give you a carrot for good behavior. One day maybe you can offer her something after you've had your time as a Champion."

"What do you mean?" Angel said the demon in him struggling to be let free and fight. His face had turned vampyric.

"I've been allowed to tell you this only if you can keep it a secret from everyone. There is a prophecy of a vampire, who has a soul, which will gain the chance at redemption and a human life if he acts as an agent of the powers until one day he is forgiven for his sins. Quid Pro Quo. But you won't get your shot at this for free. If you run off after your former slayer and so-called romantic interest it will disappear and you can't have her for real later. Remember you both have time to be apart right now. You can have that little kitten later... And it would be less like cradle robbing too," Whistler said.

Angel frowned a little and forced himself to think about it. He didn't deserve Buffy, he had known that all along. He had tried to fool himself to think differently but still she was not meant for a life at night. But now Whistler said there was a hope. If he let her go. Then he wondered, where would she be going? "What do you mean by run off after? Is she leaving" he asked.

"She isn't in our department anymore, but before she got out from under our umbrella, I sneaked took a look at her future. Little Buffy is going to be a serious player in another part of the human world. She is still destined for great things, that a little change in direction couldn't change. This is all something about another path her life could have taken had she not been the Slayer. Now her life is veering down that path. All very much non-mystical. But let's say you let her go do her thing and that is definite: she is going. Then you might have someone waiting for you when you get a chance to collect your reward. If she survives. If you survive. But let's stay positive here. There will be dark times ahead for her too, but it is not the guaranteed death sentence that a Slayer's life would have been for her," Whistler explained.

"So she's not safe," Angel put him back down and back away.

"Not completely, no one ever is. Nothing you can do will make it better. Holding her here would be a mistake. Sooner or later she'd get involved in our world again and in that case she is destined to be killed or corrupted sooner rather than later. I can tell you that for sure. For her sake you need to help her realize that when she needs to leave this city for good. And when that time comes you should prove your love to her by making her go. Prove to the powers that you love her enough to give her up for her benefit," Whistler said while rearranging his clothes.

Angel sat back. "I can do that," he said.

"Good, of course if I was you looking at your potential future, I'd let that sweet thing down easy so there is something to return to. I mean I have had a look at her recently. Wow, she is a hot little Betty," Whistler said.

Angel jumped up yelling, "You said what you had to! Now leave! Run before I decide to test out your demon blood." Whistler grabbed his hat from the floor and ran out heading up the stairs in a few moments. Angel looked around his apartment and sighed before putting his face into his hands.

--

Buffy edged into the still smashed up Sunnydale High School library. It was nearly noon and the weather outside was beautiful. The faint smell of Giles' tea wafted towards her, but not in the hall like it used to. She was inside almost at the desk before it dawned on her. Her senses were dulling. It fit with her experience early in the morning. She had been unable to screw a sealed cap off the peanut butter jar. Something she'd barely have noticed doing a few days ago. The restlessness that had filled her evenings and nights for years, had also left her now. She felt a bit of sadness over the loss of what made her special. But what she had gotten in return, a future, far outweighed what she had lost in her estimation.

"Hi Buffy," Xander called out. He was sitting next to Willow on the steps to the library mezzanine.

"Hi guys," she said. She had phoned up her friends this morning calling for this meeting. Neither Xander nor Willow had any idea, what she had called them here for. Buffy looked to the left and saw Giles bent over a book lost in his reading until she arrived. He looked up and smiled. He picked up a still steaming cup of tea and came out to join the fun. Buffy guessed that her former watcher probably already knew what she was going to say.

"Hello Buffy," Giles said. She nodded and smiled at her watcher.

"So what's up? I thought you were already half-way to LA by now," Xander said.

"Well I am leaving early tomorrow so that's still totally on, but I got some news yesterday from Giles that are totally major," she said.

Willow righted herself studying first her then Giles. Buffy guessed the red headed genius was probably thinking all sorts of things at that moment.

"The Master killed me in that cave and when he did the Slayer destiny and power moved on to another girl. I'm just plain old Buffy again," she said.

Willow jumped up and ran over to give her a hug. Xander followed although a bit more carefully. Buffy noticed this and wondered if it was because she wasn't special anymore or because he was still smarting from her choosing not to go with him when he asked her to the dance. She hoped their friendship would recover. After a few warm moments they split apart and stood there looking at each other. Buffy noticed Xander seemed to take a moment to wince over something. He did look a little pale too.

Xander was the first to speak, "so how are we going to stop the vampires now?" The boy looked to Giles.

"You'll be quite safe. The new Slayer will be arriving in a few weeks from Jamaica. I will take over as her field watcher. I haven't decided if we'll continue with the current arrangement basing ourselves out of the library even if it looks likely, as the Hellmouth is a few feet away and I like to keep a close watch on it," Giles explained.

"Buffy that is just wonderful for you," Willow said while drawing her aside.

"Yeah, I know. I'll get to go to college, get a job, live," she whispered not wanting Xander and Giles to know that a lot of her life's dreams so far had been fixated on how life as a regular person could have been.

"So have you told Angel yet?" Willow asked.

Buffy thought about it. She really ought to go and see him, but she was iffy about going out at night. Especially now that a wrong step down a dark alley could mean instant death for her. Life seemed a whole lot more dangerous if you couldn't defend yourself and knew what was out roaming the night. "Not yet, but if I do I have to go early," she said.

Willow glanced and her before nodding in understanding. Xander sauntered over with a smile on his lips and said, "So Summers no more I am the One from you eh. Now you're a common slob like the rest of us," he said.

"Xander!" Willow said and slapped his arm.

"At least recognize that Buffy has done a wonderful job," Giles said while walking back towards his office.

"I didn't mean it like that. But she's just like the rest of us now right?" Xander asked.

"Just like you except Buffy will probably remember what training and knowledge didn't come to her intuitively meaning that she will still be a very good martial artist when you think about it," Giles replied.

"What he said," Buffy added. She felt a little weird being in the room with the table that had killed the Master. His skeleton was gone, probably taken away by Giles.

"I think we should celebrate at the Bronze tonight," Xander suggested.

"Sorry, but I have to pack tonight and I guess I'll have to go see Angel as well... I guess I'll have make sure he brings me back home in one piece. We'll celebrate when I get back I promise. And I swear I will call and write," she said. Willow looked happy to hear it, while Xander remained all boy and looked indifferent.

"Oh oh, I can't come either. I forgot to tell you on the way over Xander. My mom and dad are going to Washington University to lecture and then to other cities on the East Coast to promote their books. And they want me along. I'll be back in two weeks, but at least Buffy won't be the only one getting to travel this summer," Willow said.

Buffy noticed Xander looked a little annoyed for a moment, but he didn't say anything negative either.

"Cool, congratulations. So if we don't get to talk before let me be the first to wish you a good trip," Buffy said and smiled as did her best friend. Buffy decided she should spend the afternoon with her friends so that they could at least enjoy some time together before they all split up for the summer.

--

Buffy quickly walked down the alley towards the flight of stairs leading down to Angel's basement apartment. She hated to admit it especially given that she was almost certainly going to be afraid most of the time, but she was actually afraid to be out at night. She hadn't been in the past. She hurried down the stairs to the heavy door and had to fight to get it open. She walked down the lighted corridor leading to Angel's. She knocked and waited. Her friend wasn't sure to be awake. A half minute passed before she thumped the door again. There was a noise of a bolt getting shoved aside. Angel opened the door. His skin pale almost white in the light from the corridor. "Hi, can I come in?" she asked.

"Please do," Angel said and looked around in the hall as she walked past him.

"Are you okay?" Angel asked before Buffy could get around to speaking as she admired the beautifully decorated room.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked after turning.

"I heard a rumor about you losing your power," Angel revealed.

"You heard... How? Did you talk to Giles?" Buffy asked having just come from her almost party-like goodbye for the summer meeting in the library with her friends.

"I heard it from one of my contacts. Apparently the word is out in the mystical world that you've been replaced. Is it true, I thought maybe you were just feeling sick?" Angel asked.

Buffy didn't really know what to say. A part of her wanted to step closer to the man she was infatuated with just to feel the warmth of his eyes if not his body. But another part of her, one that maybe had been numbed by the Slayer in the part, warned her. It was now telling her that at least part of her potential boyfriend was all predator and not human in any way. Finally she said, "It is. Giles and the Watchers are sure. I'm not the Slayer anymore. I'm just Buffy now. It's so strange not being the Slayer anymore. It is good but I also feel so helpless. I was almost scared I could get here and back home before dark. Me. I feel so pathetic."

Angel took hold of her, but he didn't hug her like she wanted him to. He held her out from himself. "Buffy, you have to distance yourself from all that used to be a part of your Slayer life now. There are hundreds of demons and vampires out there who want to kill you, just because you have done what you did and lived. They won't care you're not the Slayer anymore. I think you should be more than afraid. You should be protected. You have to stay away from Giles and the next Slayer if she comes here. Maybe try to convince your mom to let you move back to stay with your father," he said.

Buffy pulled back. "I can't just abandon Giles or my mom. And what about Willow and Xander. Or you. . . What if that leaves Giles without any help with the new Slayer. Of course Willow and Xander will still want to help him, but I can help more. I was a Slayer. I know how it is. I can help the new one find her way around all the same problems I had," she said feeling angry that Angel would suggest she would even consider not helping her mentor and her friends.

"Buffy, please, you have to consider it. You're just a girl now. Just a tiny ex-cheerleader," Angel said sounding like he almost looked down on her. Buffy wondered if he had lost all respect for her already. Was he that fickle? She knew she didn't know Angel all that well, but she never expected to have misjudged him so badly.

"What. How can you say that?" Buffy wanted to hit him. Buffy wanted to be stronger again just to prove him wrong, but earlier this afternoon she had realized that she was no stronger than a regular teenage girl. And that thought brought her up short. Still she was angry.

"Buffy, please I am sorry for telling you like this, but its the truth and you have to be mature enough to see it," Angel said.

Buffy held up a hand. She didn't want to hear any more. "I didn't come here for that. I just wanted to tell you, before I left for LA. I'll be gone for three months," she said.

"And I understand what you're saying. I will keep an eye out for your friends and Giles while you're gone. But really you should consider staying away completely," Angel explained.

Buffy knew she wanted to say something else. She wanted to tell Angel she was glad he would protect her city, but she didn't want to. She was too angry at his arrogance, too proud to say anything but goodbye.

She left feeling a bit like angrily hitting something, but she knew that wouldn't give her the satisfaction or have the power it would have had in the past.

--

Angel watched Buffy go with a heavy heart. He hadn't wanted to drag out what he believed was Buffy's sore spots so that she would get angry with him. But Whistler had been right. He had been foolish to believe he could allow himself to have any sort of happiness for even a short moment. He hoped he could make Buffy hate him just enough to leave but no more than if what ever future Whistler had dangled in front of him was achievable, he could win her back one day.

He was honestly worried about Buffy being in danger from the vampires of Sunnydale once the news of her loss of power spread around town. He almost wished she would leave the town permanently as he had told her. Not because of what Whistler had said, but because of what feelings the thought of her invoked in the other vampires in Sunnydale. Her story hadn't reached far yet and so she wouldn't have many enemies away from what until recently had been mostly the Master's domain especially since she was now essentially powerless.

In the distance he heard the door giving access to the basement he lived in slam. Angel grabbed his coat and headed for the sewer entrance that was at the other end of the basement. The sun would go down soon. He would be damned if he let Buffy walk around Sunnydale on her own for now.

--

Buffy was feeling weird. Not just emotionally, but she had a strange feeling in her stomach and her head felt heavy as if it was gearing up for a migraine. Still she couldn't focus on it. She was more concerned with being happy to see her Dad and to be going with him back to her old home town even if it was to her Dad's new bachelor pad, something she didn't really want to contemplate. Her mom was fussing as usual these days whenever her dad was around as well. It was like she wanted to prove something to her dad. And Buffy feared it was all about her. Her mom kept mentioning how good her friends were, how happy her teachers were with her, how much her grades had improved. Even when Buffy thought that it hadn't gotten that much better, but of course Willow and Xander were extreme improvements than her own cadre of Cordelia wannabes back at Hemery.

"Are you ready princess?" her dad asked.

"Of course, looking forward to it," Buffy said ignoring the belittling nickname only her dad used for her, once she had liked being called a princess, but that had been before she had realized what she had been meant to do with her life and how many lives depended on her actions. Buffy turned in her seat and waved goodbye to her mom as her dad guided the latest addition to his currently growing car park, a big heavy SUV with all the extras. Her dad smiled, slipped on his sunglasses and put the car into gear.

--

Xander wasn't trying to count the ceiling tiles. But there wasn't a lot else to do. It was baking hot in their small home and the TV was broken. Buffy had left for LA in the morning and Willow had actually gone along with her parents on one of their lecture tours. Those things and the fact that both his parents were home meant he had nowhere to go. There was also the fact that he needed his quiet. His ability was still trying to exude its fallout. But Xander didn't dare let go it all at once this time.

No one not even Angel had discovered what he had done to Buffy. Angel like Buffy had just thought Xander had given her CPR. But he had done a lot more than that. He had done the biggest thing he had ever tried with his power. He had brought Buffy's dying but not entirely dead body back to life repairing it completely. It had been a strangely massive undertaking. He had expected her to need blood and maybe CPR for real, and it had required more of him than he had ever done and he had been paying his dues since. Healing was the good side of his gift. The difficult part too.

Xander almost wished he had the guts to tell Buffy the truth because maybe that would have finally made her consider him more than just a friend, knowing that he wasn't as regular as he professed to be. Jesse had known. Ever since Xander had repaired Jesse's broken legs when they were only twelve. It had been the first time he had healed anyone. Jesse had helped him discover the other things about his power too. That for every thing he healed Xander stored up some sort of energy in his body, some sort of destructive energy that he had to bleed out as it hurt to keep inside. The energy would harm or kill any thing living he projected it into. He could of course just kill living things from a short distance without having healed first, but that didn't count against the energy in him by any healing unless he had already healed some.

Jesse had been the only one in his life who had known about his abilities and accepted them. And Xander had always religiously kept it a secret. Because he didn't want to end up like those kids they told about on TV. And he feared that if he told Buffy or worse Willow they would react like his parents.

It had not always been like this at home. At least Xander didn't remember it like that. His parents had always drifted from job to job, but they had never mistreated him. Sure he had learned the rules of having alcoholic parents. Don't keep cash at home. Don't trust your parents to make dinner. And don't expect that the house you lived in was the same one you'd live in next month. But then he had fixed Jesse's knee after a month of feeling sick and killing plants left and right without really noticing. He had gone on to make the fatal mistake after Jesse. He had told his dad all proud about being a potential hero like Captain America or the Fantastic Four. He had barely survived that day, but he had at least found out that he could heal himself too.

Since then everything had been different. His dad had gone from tolerant indifference to outright hatred of him. His mom had taken longer, but now it felt like she was only just tolerating him too. He was as infrequent a guest at home as he could get away with. Xander wondered if it was pride that kept him from telling his two other friends about this too. They didn't know that he had practically lived with Jesse whenever he could. They had been inseparable and yet Willow still wondered, why Xander mourned him every day.

And no one knew that he was staying in Sunnydale only to fight and protect the only two things he held dear now. Willow and Buffy. A cute genius and the vurnerable seeming Slayer. Or ex-Slayer now. But he was getting tired. He was tired of hiding his true nature. He was tired of the war they could not win even if they kept protecting Sunnydale. And he knew the fight was changing them. Willow had seen and done things already that were things he would have wished on anyone. It had made her more assertive, but also increasingly fascinated by the mystical world they had discovered. Meanwhile Buffy had returned from each fight a little bit less innocent. He could see it in her eyes. She was building up an armor hiding inside herself. Or at least she had been. A new Slayer would be taking her place and he wasn't sure he was ready to care about another one. He wondered what Buffy would do about it all.

There was a knock on his door. Xander kept it locked just to be sure he wouldn't get jumped without warning. "Xander! Open this fucking door now!" his dad screamed. Xander jumped in his bed only to feel his entropy stuffed body jolt in pain.

"What is it?!" Xander screamed back.

"I told you. I want no fucking locked doors in my house. Now I want this door open this second. And I want you out in the yard cutting the grass as you should have done weeks ago!" his dad screamed.

"I mowed the lawn last week," Xander yelled back and mumbled, "you drunken bastard."

"I heard that! I'm gonna have your hide you lazy freak," his Dad hammered into the door with enough force to break the wooden frame. The door sprang open.

"Dad, stop! Please!" Xander begged. He didn't want to get beaten up again. It was too much. Still he had jumped out of bed and faced his dad, ready use what fighting knowledge his life with Buffy as a friend had given him.

"You should do as you're told," His dad said and hammered a blow onto Xander's shoulder. Xander had raised his block too slow. Another jolt of pain shot through him blocking out even the pain from his shoulder. Xander fell to his knees. This attack was destroying his concentration. The energy was getting away from him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you," his dad barked and pulled him up after grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Shit, you're eyes are fucking black. You're no child of mine. You're a mistake. No child of mine could be a disgusting thing like you," his dad slapped him across the face. Xander lifted his hands to ward himself. He was rewarded with a punch in the gut.

Xander vomited onto his dad's feet.

"You disgusting piece of shit. Why haven't you killed yourself. What reason to you have for living?" his dad screamed and hammered a blow into the back of his head.

Xander felt the pain rise again. The energy in him fought to be free. Xander flashed back to other beatings. Other times when he had the chance and the anger like he felt at that moment. The anger that was always there. The betrayal he felt as a strike hit him. Xander looked up at his dad and realized that he didn't feel betrayed anymore. He no longer wanted to do good by his dad. He just wanted the attacks to end. He had the power to do so for a long time now. Maybe he had finally found the truth. Another blow struck his back and the decision was taken. Xander started to black out and so he let go of his pain.

--

"Wake up! Hey wake up!" Someone yelled as Xander came too.

The air tasted funny he thought as he opened his eyes. A uniformed cop was standing over him. He could hear a helicopter outside. Xander fought to get up, wondering if he should move after his beating. As he moved Xander realized he had probably already healed himself.

"He's the only one left alive. It had to have been him. Look he's probably a mutant," someone said from nearby. Xander looked over that way as he got up. Another cop stood there. He noticed there were several police cruisers outside as far as he could tell from the multicolored lights flashing across the walls in his room.

"Listen son, explain what's going on here. What happened?" the cop asked.

Xander looked around and saw a withered husk of a man on the floor. It wore his dad's clothes. "Oh god," he said and realized what he had done. "Dad, I killed my dad," Xander knelt down then realized what had to happen now.

"If you did this you killed more than your dad. Kid there is nothing and no one alive in the house, in the yard. Your neighbors all nearly dropped dead as well but so far most seem like they'll live. What the hell were you doing?" the cop asked, but looked a bit nervous now as he realized what he was facing. Xander felt like throwing up. Then the cop in the door pulled out his gun.

"You're under arrest for the murder of your parents and the reckless endangerment of your neighbors. You have the right to remain silent... " The cop started reading him his rights. And Xander didn't want to do anything. He knew he could have run. He could have paralyzed the two cops if he had been able to touch them. But he didn't want to. He had just killed his parents. He didn't even want to think or really exist at that moment. He let the nervous cops arrest him. He wondered if he would get the chance to explain himself to Willow and Buffy before they were told horrible things about him.

--

Willow looked out over the approaching night as they flew East. Her parents had done something unusual this morning. On hearing that Willow had no extra study sessions, extra courses available and really was too old for Summer camp they had decided that it was not healthy for her to stay home in Sunnydale with only her friends as company so they had just decided she would be going with them to lecture at the ESU in New York City and had brooked no argument. Willow loved her parents but they rarely paid much attention to her or her life in general and this was one of those times she would have rather had them ignore her. She liked traveling but Sunnydale had felt like too busy to leave. Giles was expecting to go to Jamaica to pickup his Slayer sometime this week and would be training her soon. Xander had been sort of distant since the night of the Prom and the Master's death. Buffy had been equally strange but that was probably just her dealing with the loss of first her life against the Master and then her powers. Willow would have rather had her friend had stayed in Sunnydale a bit longer. Buffy didn't have anyone to really talk to honestly except her and Willow knew her friend needed someone to vent to especially right now. Xander's strangeness was a different issue that Willow didn't really understand but she also didn't know what to do about it. Willow decided she'd call him and have a long talk when she got to their hotel.

--

Xander sat crying in the holding cell they had put him in after taking down his statement. He knew they hadn't believed him about the beating. He told them he had been beaten, but he had no mark on him. He had told them about his abilities curing him, but just seemed to make things worse. They had just listened to him speak without taking down what he sat only writing when he described how his ability could kill anything living close to him. He kind of admired how they had stayed in the room after that.

But now no matter how he tried to think of small unimportant things he could forget the images of first his dad then later as the police had led him past the living room the image of his mom dead on the floor of their living room. It was all he saw every time he closed his eyes.

"Mr. Harris," a voice asked. Xander looked up and saw a suit clad black man standing in front of the bars.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Ah good," the suit replied. He lifted a strange gun between the bars and fired twice. Xander felt pain in his chest. The image of the world through his eyes began going blurry. "Wh," he tried to speak. Then too late almost he tried to focus enough to use his power. Neither thing really worked before he passed out for the second time that day.

--

"Honey, are you feeling better?" her dad asked through the door to the bathroom. Buffy had only made it to his new home before she had needed to go there just in case the nausea she felt was something to worry about. Her head was still throbbing so hard that Buffy felt like she could bare see straight. She wondered if she should call Giles and ask if there were some sort of withdrawal process when you lost your Slayerness. She felt weak like a kitten.

"Yeah, I just got a bad headache, my stomach is feeling okay," she said.

"I could call the doctor?" her dad asked.

"No, really it's fine. I just need to rest. I'm sorry for all the trouble," Buffy replied and got up to unlock the door. She stood facing her dad.

"I'll be fine. I think it's just a bug. I'll get over it soon. I really am sorry. I know you wanted to take me to dinner today. How about we do that some other time, when you're able," Buffy said.

"Anything for you princess," her dad replied and smiled. "I've taken your stuff to your room. I hope you like it. The decorator swore she'd make it perfect for my California girl," he continued.

"Just show me the way," Buffy replied. She had to admit she kind of liked the idea of a whole other room filled with stuff just for her. Maybe she would get to shop for some nice dresses and shoes to put into its closets. As they walked through the big house, Buffy realized that her dad really had to be making a lot of money. It was a big house not too far from the best parts of Beverly Hills and it had all been decorated by a professional just recently. Her dad drove a big expensive foreign car that sounded like thunder when it revved up. It all screamed money.

They stepped into her white and muted pastel toned room decorated with iron-wrought bed and mirror on the second floor. It even had an open walk-in closet and a bath room. "Wow," Buffy said breathlessly. Her dad smiled proud at his daughter's praise before turning towards the air conditioning control next to the door and fiddling with it.

"I understand if you don't want to go out to night. So how about you rest a little and I'll call for some food. How does Thai sound to you?" he asked.

"Excellent. I vote for that plan," Buffy said knowing that her dad liked it when she was assertive. That was one of the traits she had inherited equally from both her parents she knew that at least since the divorce. That and stubbornness.

"Good," her dad said and left her alone. Buffy threw herself on her bed and while her head throbbed the coolness of the airy room felt good and as she lay on the big soft bed looking at the white ceiling she remembered she had promised to call her mom. Buffy rolled over and stared at the phone before finally deciding to wait until she had something good to tell.


	2. Sundering Changes, part 2

Sundering Changes, part 2

"Come on, someone's got to be home," Willow complained as the phone beeped indicating that it was punting her call to voice mail yet again. No one was picking up at Xander's. Usually she could get one of Xander's perpetually cranky seeming parents or even his weird uncle if Xander didn't get the phone himself, but no one seemed to be picking up at all. She considered if she could get through to Buffy, but realized that her friend wouldn't know about why Xander wasn't home as she was in LA. It was unusual for her not being able to reach him after nearly a week of trying. Willow wished she had access to an Internet connected computer.

Willow hoped her friend was okay in LA and promised herself that she would call Buffy's mom so she could get some sort of number for Buffy so that she could at least talk to her during Buffy's three month stay with her dad.

--

Xander opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a concrete room with a small toilet next to the door and a hard bunk bolted to the floor. The door was solid steel with a small slit of glass in it. The only other openings were grates near the top of the cell on either side. Xander looked down himself. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit with a number on the chest over white cotton underwear. Xander guessed he had been moved to some sort of prison, but he was confused about why he had been drugged during the move. He moved his head slightly and realized he was wearing something around his neck. He reached up and found a metal ring locked around his neck like a dog collar. It had obviously been there long enough to have the same temperature as his skin. He headed over to the window in the door and looked out. There was some sort of well lit corridor and a concrete wall across from him. He could spot two more doors as well probably just more cells. There was something written on the wall. It said: Neverland in blocky black lettering.

"Neverland, strange name for a prison," he mused, but Xander couldn't blame them for bringing him here. He belonged in prison after killing his parents. He belonged locked away from people. He could hurt more people at any time. That was probably the reason they had drugged him before bringing him there. Sighing slightly at his situation, but deciding he deserved to be there Xander lay back onto his bed and waited.

--

Buffy cursed as she opened her eyes. Her headache continued on its fourth day. She realized something was wrong, but she didn't want to tell her dad. He would just send her to the hospital and she loathed those. Besides it was getting better just very slowly. So she lied about being sick. She was used to lying to her dad. She told her dad every time he asked that she was feeling fine now and that she didn't mind going out to eat or join him and his workmates and their families at some fancy dinner, which was her dutiful daughter job for the evening. All day yesterday she had been allowed to go to the boutiques of her choice in Beverly Hills and spend away of her dad's money. He had almost given her a car as well, but so far that hadn't gone through, mostly because her learner's permit was just a fever dream at the moment.

She got up and carefully dressed. It was strange being back in LA especially now that all the instincts of the Slayer had completely left her. She didn't feel the need to stay up at night nor did she really have the energy for it. Her strength, agility and endurance had gone back to being that of an athletic girl as had her coordination. However the skills had stayed with her. She knew all she had learned as a Slayer. She knew the right moves but her body couldn't perform them anymore. It sucked not having superpowers when you had been used to them after nearly two years. Still it also meant she could walk through an area and not feel the need to look for her enemies on every corner. She found it easier to be happier during the day and she slept through the nights. Buffy just knew she would never forget. Her time as the Slayer was history now, but it was important history to her and it had changed how she saw herself and how she thought about people and events.

Feeling better than on her initial awakening, she had hope for the day especially after her bath and getting dressed in a nice dress she had bought yesterday, Buffy went down and greeted her dad as his Spanish speaking housekeeper fixed them breakfast. "Hola, Isabella," she said.

"Hola, Buffy," the matronly housekeeper said. Isabella had greeted her with warm embraces and the woman was seemingly very glad to find Buffy less interested in starting fights and fires and more or less back to her original way of being. Her dad had hired her just before the divorce after moving out to an apartment for a while. He had brought her along to his new house and since Buffy knew her from the earlier visits.

"Hi, honey, so I've asked Isabella to drive you to the Ice skating rink today. I know you love that place. I'll be in meetings until six pm, I'll swing by here around eight and pick you up. This dinner I am taking you to, is really important. The partners at my firm and I are going to meet with another firm that we're considering sealing a huge deal with, but we want to wine and dine them first. Now they didn't want a formal business dinner so we've made a bit of a party out of it and the entire staff is coming most of them will be bringing their families too. It'll be a social event. I know several of them will love to meet you. It won't be all boring I promise. Most of the partners have kids your age and we've arranged for a DJ and room for you to dance while we talk about the boring stuff with the other suits in another room, so don't worry," her dad said.

"I don't," Buffy replied and smiled lightly. She was actually looking forward to a night of a little dancing and fun even if it was with several kids she had never met before or if she had she probably wouldn't remember.

"Good, see you tonight," her dad said and kissed her on the cheek before leaving.

--

Buffy felt great as she studied herself in the mirror. Her dad would be arriving any moment now. She studied her beautiful red dress and the subtle make-up. She could have used a visit to the hair salon, but at least she had gotten rid of her Slayer damaged nails at a manicurist this afternoon. Her new shoes were tight, but they were also real pretty and matched her dress perfectly.

"My god, you're so beautiful. Be careful around the boys tonight," her dad suggested and gave her a wrap to pull over her arms.

"I know how to handle them. Besides I have kind of... I had a boyfriend in Sunnydale and I don't really want a new one right away," Buffy said. Angel didn't count as a boyfriend just as someone she was really really interested in. At least that was what she told herself at that moment.

Her dad took her to his car and together they drove off to the dinner. Buffy watched as they headed through LA bathed in the colors of the dusk. She was feeling excellent. Her headache was completely gone and she felt almost electrified as they finally arrived at the restaurant her dad's firm had rented for the evening. Her dad let the valet park the car, before guiding her inside. They were not the first to arrive and immediately her dad started showing her off, introducing her to the other old men and one woman that owned the law firm along with him. There were other people there, junior partners her dad called them. Then there was the guests and the other kids. All looked a bit like her, teenagers or younger kids being paraded out to be shown off by their parents. She left her dad side and headed over to meet some of the others like her, suddenly uncomfortable with being shown off like a prize to older men and women.

"Hi," she said greeting the first sullen looking group seated in a corner booth close to where her dad had indicated they'd be seated during the dinner.

"Welcome to the party," one of the girl remarked.

"You look like you're having as much fun as us," a boy replied.

"Because I enjoy being shown off like something about to be auctioned," she remarked.

"Uh, we'll get along nicely. I'm Tommy. That's Clarissa. Miranda. Rory and Michael," a pony tailed about nineteen year old guy said.

"I'm Buffy," she said.

"Nice, you're parents were at least creative," Miranda commented.

"Yeah, because I've never gotten smart remarks about my name before," Buffy replied.

"Uh, relax, Buffy, retract your claws, we're all in the same boat here. At least this time they've arranged for entertainment for us. There is some sort of DJ coming after the dinner," Tommy said.

"Let's hope so," Clarissa commented.

"Kids, dinner," one of the older men yelled just after a large bunch of elderly men arrived in a group.

"Like I am nine," Rory mumbled. But they all got up and along with Buffy they headed over to the tables were dinner was being served.

--

The music was thumping and the youngest of the lawyers many of them in their late twenties had joined them on the dance floor dancing or chatting in the corner. Buffy had seen her dad heading into a quieter backroom along with all the partners from both firms. She didn't really care. She was still going strong, not even tired now that the clock was heading past midnight. She must have been a real nightowl before turning into a Slayer and had never known it. She did need to go to the bathroom though.

Buffy walked out into the hallways following the signs leading to the toilets when she saw something strange. There were several closed off rooms in back that the lawyers were using for their talks, but Buffy hadn't expected there to be actual guards. There were two burly looking Hispanics in suits standing guard next to one of the doors. They were staring at her. She felt a bit like a deer in the headlights for a moment before collecting herself and heading for the bathroom door which was just next to the two guards. She went inside and almost breathed a sigh of relief.

A few minutes later as she studied herself in the mirror she heard something from the open window at the back of the room. It was a slightly raised voice. Chance guided it to her ears and she realized it was her dad's voice. Buffy was curious and edged over to the window listening as he spoke. They must have opened a window to the empty garden surrounding the restaurant.

"So let's say we do go ahead with the current plan as we've agreed on. That would mean that we could service our international customers with the services generously offered for sale by your organization as long as it furthers your goals, while we at AIM will be able to help you get hold of all those weapons you need for your real purposes. That along with the details we have discussed earlier would mean that we have a deal," her dad said.

"Yes, I believe we might have a deal Mr. Summers. It's good that we can still deal with each other after all this time. I will have to get final approval from head of my organization just like you, but I think you can consider this a closed deal. Besides shifting the resources we discussed through your organization's contacts in the Middle East seems to be the best solution available to us at the moment, provided we can be sure there will be no information leaks. HYDRA is looking forward to seeing how your weapons series will perform in the field," another British accented voice said.

"Excellent, then I guess we can move back to the pleasant parts of this place," her dad said. There was a general series of noises like people moving around in the room next door.

Buffy realized she was standing there completely frozen in shock. She had just heard her dad secure a weapons deal with some sort of organization that sounded suspicious. In fact the entire thing had sounded deeply shady. The thought of her father dealing in weapons when she had thought him a contract law expert as it said on his card shattered her preconceptions of her dad completely. She wondered if it had been going on long and if it had, if her mom knew. She also wondered what AIM and HYDRA was, because her dad's company was named IDIC. Those were pretty weird names really. Deciding to keep things cool at least until she could think things over Buffy left the bathroom as if nothing had happened and headed back out onto the dance floor.

However as she danced with several of the quite attentive LA boys she realized that she felt strange about this party now. It felt the party was just there to cover for shady dealings. She was there as a part of her Dad's cover. Covering from what exactly, she wondered for a moment, but decided she had too many weird theories in her head to really know what she wanted to think.

She tried to get back into the dancing mood but after nearly a half hour she hadn't managed even with four different boys and a couple of the girls trying their best to get her to join them in their fun. Instead she sought out one of the corner when she noticed her dad waving at her. Buffy headed over to him.

"Listen I have a couple of early meetings tomorrow, so would you mind if we leave now," her dad asked.

"No, I am getting tired anyway," she replied. Her dad nodded and they headed out after she picked up her wrap.

She got into the car the valet had fetched and noticed how there were more stiff and careful looking burly guys standing around the parking lot. All people she hadn't seen inside at any point. The entire place had been under guard she realized and again she wondered what was going on.

"So did you like the party?" her dad asked.

Buffy wondered what she should say. But she realized what she wanted to say, but she also didn't know enough to really ask what was going and understand it. "It was great," she lied and put on her best happy face. She knew she would have a talk with her dad tomorrow, but that would be after she borrowed his Internet connection and tried to see if she could do like Willow and be the netgirl long enough to figure out what AIM and HYDRA was. She just hoped she remembered those names until then.

--

Xander woke up. He wasn't sure what day it was or what time of day even. His body ached slightly. They were drugging his food. It had arrived that first day through a hatch in the door and he had eaten it without realizing until he had passed out on the floor. They were drugging him. He sat up and realized that something was wrong with his arms. He examined them. There were multiple needle marks that were still healing. Jumping up in panic Xander examined himself. There were many places on his body like that. They had cut into him and done things. "What the fuck? What is this? I want my lawyer. I want my phone call. Someone answer me!" He screamed.

"Welcome to Neverland," a voice whispered.

Xander turned around in his cell and saw nothing.

"Over here," the voice said. Xander looked up towards the grate in the ceiling to his left.

"Hi there," Xander said.

"What is this place?" he asked not wanting to get into all the other questions about who the voice was and what his crime was.

"Neverland. Where they take mutants to get cut up and probed to see if they can use you for something in their experiments," the voice replied.

"What! But... I expected to go to prison. I haven't even seen a lawyer. I was never sentenced," he said.

"Don't expect to be. You're new to this business I can hear. Listen, you're a mutant. To them you're just an obituary waiting to be written. It's my second time in here. I escaped for a short time once. Guess how surprised I was when I got out and find out that I was officially dead. I had apparently committed suicide in my cell before I got any representation. And they hunt us too. You get out then you run and don't trust anyone except other mutants," the voice said.

"My name is Xander," he said.

"Bah, your human name right. Have you picked out a real one yet?" the voice asked.

"What do you mean?" Xander asked.

"Listen, you can't go around using that human name. Human names are for homo sapiens. We're the next step in human evolution. You have to have a real name. Your true name. We'll pick one later. My name is Toad," the voice explained.

"Toad, really?" Xander asked and laughed thinking Willow would never like his new friend.

"Yeah, my mutation gives me frog like characteristics," the voice said sounding annoyed. Xander decided not to make fun of him. After all Toad might be his only ally at the moment.

"Okay, cool. Not one to judge," Xander replied.

"And you, what's your power?" Toad asked.

"I can take and give lifeforce. You know heal people if I touch them or kill things by draining them. That works at a range apparently," Xander replied.

"Nice. You're probably an Alpha class then," Toad replied.

"Alpha class?" Xander asked.

"You're really a greenhorn. Not to worry I'll school you," Toad said.

--

Willow read through the news paper article for the fifth time. Her face was streaked by tears. She had borrowed a network connection and her dad's laptop to see if she could find a number for Buffy's dad and see if she could go through the networks of Sunnydale to find out what was going on. What she had found out was that something had happened to Xander's parents. She had searched for him and found the article. She couldn't believe it. Xander had been a mutant apparently and had used his powers to kill his parents and had then killed himself in his cell by hanging himself. Willow of course didn't believe a single word of it. Xander would never kill his parents and it was probably some sort of magic that had killed his parents. She had entered the coroner's files and had found something disturbing. Xander's body hadn't been examined, but had rather been given immediately to the funeral home for cremation. The news paper had said that no one mourned Xander, but they were wrong. Willow however would do more than mourn. First she'd clear her friend's name. Then she'd have Giles' new Slayer extract vengeance from whoever had done her friend in. She found and scribbled down Giles' phone number.

--

Buffy had tried to enjoy her morning, but really she had just waited until both her dad and Isabella were out of the house. She ran to her dad's home office and booted his computer. It came up with a password prompt, but Buffy knew the password. Her dad had always had the same one. His initials, then a space then her first name and then her mom's birthday. The computer showed its normal desktop. She quickly found the Internet browser and tried to remember how Willow had always done these things. First she tapped in the address of the search engine and then she entered the name: 'AIM.' It produced a long list mostly with stuff she guessed wasn't about what she was looking for. It took a while to sort through it all until she got enough and added: 'organization' to the search. Then she found several articles. There were newspaper articles and hundreds of other stories from private people telling everyone about how the AIM was a terrorist weapons supplier dealing in stuff as advanced as Stark Industries the name of which she only knew from seeing Tony Stark in the celebrity pages of her favorite magazines.

Trying not to think Buffy replaced AIM with HYDRA and got even more hits. All of it was worse than AIM. Where AIM was mostly a unscrupulous arms dealer, HYDRA was a fascistic terrorist organization bent on taking over the world by any means possible including having tried to detonate all of the world's nuclear weapons at once back in the seventies. She couldn't believe her dad was involved with something like this. Buffy knew one more thing about her dad and how he kept his secrets. When she had been small he had kept certain important things in his safe. A safe she knew the combination too. The safe which now stood in his office.

She shutdown the computer but stayed in the office for a while before deciding to confront her dad when he got home. She might not be the Slayer anymore, but she couldn't imagine standing idly by either. The ability to ignore everything but her own little world hadn't returned with the loss of her powers. She walked over and tapped in the code. Predictably her dad hadn't changed it. She opened it and found that besides some weird liquid containers attached to the inside of her dad's safe there was several stacks of folders, a strangely fancy looking pistol and small stack of cash. Buffy ignored everything but the folders. She knew she was snooping but she just had that vain hope that in one of those folder there would be evidence that her dad was an undercover agent for some sort of police and not the criminal she now feared he was.

The first few folders were simply personal stuff, the divorce settlement with her mom, a copy of his personal papers and stuff that barely interested Buffy like his employment contact with his firm IDIC. Still amazing herself with her focus given the comparatively research like situation she was in, Buffy forced herself to keep reading. The last two folders were the most interesting and shocking. They were presentation notes for some sort of device that would make everyone in an area feel like they were being burned alive. It was listed as being pocket sized and easily portable. According to the marketing speak it was guaranteed to start massive panics and perfect for quelling or starting riots. Buffy felt sick at the prospects pictures of screaming and catatonic people. The other folder was some sort of printout of a document including comments from her dad about what should be changed for a final contract. It was an agreement between two unnamed parties exchanging money massive amounts really, but the document didn't say what for. Her dad's notes however were filled with words like cover-up, whitewashing and conceal.

Buffy put everything back in the safe and tried to mentally prepare herself. She tried to reign in her anger. How dared her dad to be party to things like this? How could he? She would confront him. That much was sure.

--

Willow finally got Giles to pick up his phone. "Rupert Giles," he said.

"Giles, it's me. Have you heard? What they claim Xander did?" Willow blurted out.

"Yes, my dear. I heard the same day. The poor boy. Apparently he had been abused by his parents for years. He never told us. If only he had. We could have done something," Giles said.

"Giles... It couldn't have been him. Xander wasn't a mutant. He would have told us," she said.

"Willow, I understand your sentiment and I shared it in the beginning, however I went over Xander's home thoroughly with the help of Miss Calendar and Angel. It wasn't magic or demonic power that did this. We also acquired the tape of Xander's confession. It was quite informative. Apparently Xander did not want to tell any of us of his status as a mutant because his parents knew and had punished him for a long time for that fact. It is really a quite horrible situation. In fact Xander might have gotten free of his first degree murder charges in my opinion. The use of his power was clearly unintentional and even if not he was acting under duress as he was being beaten by his father at the moment. He would have had to serve time for manslaughter for his mother, but really anything would have been than the solution he chose for himself," Giles explained.

Willow deflated. "But... I... " She couldn't help herself she just started crying uncontrollably. She hung up the phone without saying goodbye and curled up on the bed.

--

Buffy watched her dad walk in, looking tired after a long day. Isabella had made them dinner and Buffy had already eaten. She had wondered if she should call Giles earlier. Her appetite was back to Slayer levels at the moment and while her instincts for a lack of a better word weren't back there was still something different than what was normal for her. She felt good physically, almost like she was ready to bounce around the room. But there were more important things for her to do.

"Dad. We have to talk," Buffy said trying to sound as serious as she felt. She would have to seem that way. Her dad barely acknowledge she had a brain after all.

Her dad turned and gave her a strange look. "What is it, princess?" he asked.

"Dad, I heard some of what you and those guys from HYDRA talked about, while I was in the bathroom yesterday. I checked your safe. You're dealing in weapons. You sell things that kill people, innocent people. This is all bought with blood money," she yelled gesturing at around the room.

Her dad didn't defend himself. He just paled and charged at her. Before she could defend herself he bowled her over and held a hand over her mouth. "Shut up!" he commanded. Buffy tried to press his hands away, missing her Slayer strength more and more by the moment.

"Have you got any idea what you've just done? To me, to yourself, oh your mom. Tell me you haven't told your mom!" he commanded. Buffy shook her head.

"Small mercy. Shit, Buffy. Goddamn it, how could you. Couldn't you just have enjoyed all of this. Why snoop around, why listen in. These people aren't to be reasoned with. Now you will either have to join them or they'll kill you," he said sounding sad, but sure that she would do just that.

Buffy managed to move her dad's hand over her mouth. "Never, I'd never join with psychopaths and terrorists. We'll just get help. And more to the point how could you? Dad, how could you let something like this into our lives in the first place," she asked.

Hank seemed to give up and let her go, getting up. He stared out the window for a moment. "How couldn't I? They pay me in millions Buffy. And really everyone else is mixed up in something too. They always are. You'll understand when you start growing up. Why shouldn't I reap the benefits as well," he turned and looked at her for a moment. There was something in his eyes she hadn't seen for a long time. A deep caring love as well as fear. It was a look like Giles had given her every night these last few months. Was that how a father's love looked, Buffy wondered.

"Why did you react like that?" Buffy asked and felt her face. It felt almost like she had been slapped across the mouth.

"Because my employers have bugged my house before. And in light of the importance of the deal you overheard and me being the head negotiator you can probably expect HYDRA has at least temporarily set someone to watch me as well. Buffy, you have to swear your loyalty to one or the other. You have to. Or they'll kill you and me," he said.

Buffy thought back on the list of insanity and murder she had seen online describing both groups. "Never," she repeated, but for a moment felt less than certain.

Her dad grabbed her by the shoulders and said, "Stop being so unreasonable. They'll kill you." Her dad looked like he was desperate.

"Dad, I couldn't. Never. I am not that kind of person. I won't ever serve something like them. I loathe people like that. I... I have seen evil and I won't back down from it. You have to face it or it will consume or destroy you. You could do good too. You could stand up against them. Go to the authorities and tell them everything," Buffy recalled meeting the Master in his cave and dying. She knew she could very well be condemning herself again. But even with that very real threat on the horizon she couldn't make herself surrender to evil. It was just not in her nature. Not even for pragmatic reasons.

Her dad's shoulder's slumped. Buffy meanwhile heard a strange high pitched whine just at the top end of her hearing. It faded again. She looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Buffy, I don't understand how you can be like this. What's happened to my little girl," her dad said when suddenly the living room window exploded into the room and three yellow clad figures waded inside, while Buffy and her dad got back onto their feet. Buffy looked up and saw how they wore a strange armor like set of clothes including a face covering helmet. It would have been slightly funny hadn't it been for the lethal looking huge high-tech guns the trio was carrying.

"Mr. Summers. Management has decided that your employment contract is to be terminated. Your daughter's pathetically simple penetration of your security more than adequately proves that you're clearly not fit for your current position. As we have records of your daughter's vehement denial of the only option open to her, we'll be terminating her along with you. I will be merciful and kill you first to spare you the sight of her dying first," the leader said. Buffy considered getting up and running, but she had no cover and she was unsure about her speed after losing her Slayer powers as well. But if she didn't she'd just die on her knees.

But before Buffy could even decide, her dad heaved the couch up and pulled something out that had been taped to its underside. It was a small rifle like thing that made a whine noise as he fired an blue bolt of something that went straight through the armor of the left most of the trio with a hiss. There was a blacklight-like flash in the room as the couch blew apart from the shot fired by the leader of the yellow armored guys in response. Her dad threw himself to the right.

Buffy's body remembered her training well enough even if its options were more limited than before. Still she elegantly rolled left and ended up back on her feet in a run. She knew she couldn't stop. Something crackled and blue arcs shot past her blasting in the wall to the kitchen. Buffy used the smooth stone floor she had reached and slid into cover in the kitchen.

Buffy scrambled back on her feet then had an idea as she had not stopped her mad dash. She grabbed the door outside and opened it before continuing on around the kitchen grabbing a meat cleaver on the way. She slid down and hid in the nook under the central table where they usually kept the chairs. Thankfully the lights were off. She could hear someone run up. Heavy steps. She watched one of the trio run into the kitchen.

"Fuck me, I want that kill bonus," the figure paused while he muttered to himself. "Don't tell me that bitch ran out on her precious dad. Typical teenagers no idea how easy it'd be to pick her off from a distance. Fine my sniping skills need some testing any way." The man moved into position at the door.

Buffy followed behind the figure as he went to the opened door. Carefully as not to make too much noise she got out of her hiding place. She knew she could only have one good try. Her time as the Slayer had taught her two things about ambushes. Strike where it would hurt the first and don't hesitate. She noticed there were gaps in the armor around the shoulders and neck. Having a cleaver she went for the shoulder hoping to hit the man hard enough to get his gun or something. She swung.

Had she been the Slayer, she would have taken the arm off. Had she been the Slayer she would have hit perfectly. The cleaver embedded itself in the joint between arm and shoulder. The armored man screamed in pain and tossed himself around to face her, his finger holding down the trigger on his sci-fi weapon. Blue arcs pulverized the wall, several cupboards and made the fridge explode. Buffy threw herself to the ground earning more pain from doing that then she had ever gotten before. She lamented being without Slayer endurance and resistance to petty scrapes at that moment about just as much as she missed her Slayer strength and the rest of the package.

"Die Bitch," the man probably standing over her said. There was a whine and a discharge. Then a loud metallic gong noise. Buffy looked over her shoulder and saw her enemy lying halfway out the door a cleaver in his shoulder and a big smoldering hole where his face had been. Buffy looked the other way and saw her dad, looking pale and bleeding from his right arm but still holding his rifle ready. He hobbled up to her.

"We need to run," Buffy said.

"I know. They have all my cars rigged with tracking devices in case I get attacked and need to be found quickly. I wouldn't put it past them to have installed explosives either. I'll hotwire one of the neighbors cars," her dad said.

"Hotwire a car... Cool," she replied feeling numb to the surprises she took it all in stride.

Her dad looked at her funny. "How come you're handling all of this. That's not like. . ." He said.

"I have been dealing with bad stuff for over a while now, the stuff you didn't want to hear about the last time I tried to tell ya. Listen dad I'll tell you in the car," she said.

"Yeah, more will be coming. This was just the surveillance team. Buffy we might be able to run anywhere as us. They're everywhere, they have people in the government. They can tap phones, follow you anywhere. We can't go anywhere they can't go too. We'd have to erasure our existence," her dad said.

"So what you want me to give up my life? No way. Death threats can be avoided. Trust me there is nothing like certain death. I've defeated prophecy. We can beat this too," she said.

"We have to run and hide. Even if we tell someone, even if we could stop AIM, they'll keep coming. HYDRA has been under attack by all the world's government agencies for over 50 years and they're still here. We can't go public and expect to be safe. The rest of our lives could ruined along with all the lives of all those we tell about this," her dad said.

Buffy paused and looked at him. "Are you serious?" she asked her mind boggling at the very idea.

"I know them. We can't ever pull anyone into this unless you want them hunted like we are now. And they'll be watching everyone at least until they think us dead," her dad explained sounding like he was coming up with a plan. The electricity in the house suddenly died.

They looked at each other and started running back through the living room, Buffy supporting her dad the best she could while trying to avoid looking at the people her dad had shot earlier. She decided to ask him about his combat skills later.

"Maybe we..." her dad was in the middle of talking. Buffy noticed a green dot sweep past her then suddenly her dad's head exploded with a wet ripping noise spraying her with bone, blood and brain matter. She fell down. Her head felt like it was on fire, but all she was looking at was the corpse of her dad. The headless corpse. Buffy noticed a strange white light surrounding her. And then for a while she saw next to nothing but white.

--

Paul studied the video of the Summers home one more time. A few minutes ago his two back-up squads had moved into the help the surveillance team close the information leak, but had found the surveillance team dead and the former employee and his daughter on the verge of leaving. Rats always ran in his experience. Still the Summers family had so far impressed him with their teeth. The video feed from inside had given out just a moment after Hank Summers had been terminated. All he had was the images from the surveillance van's outside camera. The white flash and the incandescent white explosion and followed by a huge shock wave, that had blown the Summers home to tiny bits and left a sizable crater. He was studying the feed to decide the reason for the explosion and if there were possible survivors either Buffy Anne Summers or his two point men who had been inside.

"How is the police situation?" he asked Celia his right hand woman.

"They have arrived on scene and are canvassing the area. Given the energy output measured SHIELD is moving in to take over the investigation according to our LA sources. They'll be undercover as FBI," Celia explained.

"Fine, have our source in SHIELD forward us a copy of their complete report when its done. I want to know as soon as they do if anyone survived. Keep a watch on the situation," he commanded. He knew that HYDRA was watching on this one as were his bosses. Reentering into contact with HYDRA had been a high profile operation and the central council had been adamant on security and leak prevention.

"What shall I tell HYDRA in the meantime," Celia asked.

"I'll tell them that the Summers have been terminated and that apparently Summers tried to cover up his escape by using something like photonic bomb, but got caught in the blast himself. Both he and his daughter are to be considered missing in action for now. We'll upgrade them to dead as soon as we have final confirmation," he said.

"Sir, given the energy output measured from the light given off, there might not be enough recognizable organic matter for any kind of identification," Celia said.

"Either way set up automated taps on all people connected to Buffy Summers, do both phone and Internet connections," he said.

"Physical surveillance?" Celia asked while inputing his commands.

"No, Sunnydale is a no-go zone for our agents according to our agreements with Wolfram and Hart and the Sunnydale Mayor, besides electronic should be enough. We're dealing with a lawyer and a regular teenager here. Should the Summers girl by some miracle be alive, she'll either go to the authorities or home and then we will hear about it. But be sure to be thorough I want full coverage here. If you don't know who to tap, ask the Sunnydale Mayor's office. They'll be accommodating," Paul said almost shuddered remembered the unnatural nature of Sunnydale and those that hid it. AIM had been about to investigate once, but after consulting with and being sought out by those forces that ruled it it had decided to stay with science.

--

Buffy realized two things early on as she came to her senses. One thing was that she was very high in the air. The second thing was that she was still going up. Buffy looked down and realized she was giving off a white light from her entire body. It was also propelling her upwards at a pretty high speed. And up high it was supposed to be cold. She wasn't cold, but she wasn't exactly happy about heights either. But as she worried the white light disappeared and she was blasted with cold. Buffy gasped but got no air.

The world seemed to narrow then slowly grow gray as she realized she was falling towards the ground. She blacked out. Then for just a moment she opened her eyes and saw the ground approached. She screamed in fear and there was another white flash before she passed out.

--

Willow was about to get breakfast when the phone in her room rang. Wondering what anyone would want from her now. Maybe it was for her parents who had just left to give their lecture. "Willow," Giles' voice sounded worried on the other end.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Oh, good. Willow, there has been an accident. The police in LA thinks a gas main near Buffy's dad's house blew up. There is nothing left of their house according to the news," Giles explained.

Willow immediately wanted to protest in disbelief. How could two incidents happen to both her friend in so short a time. Giles continued to speak, "I checked with the seer I used to confirm if Buffy had indeed lost her Slayer status. She swears Buffy is alive, but is now on a path that has to take her away from us for our safety."

"What? What does that even mean?" Willow protested.

"I do not know. However she was quite adamant as was that we needed to keep the Watcher's Council and my nose out of that business. She was very convincing when she channeled the Powers That Be. She even convinced my superiors via the phone. So I won't be allowed to head to LA to find out more myself. And I believe neither should you. Something is happening to Buffy according to the Seer. I have contacted Angel. She never mentioned him. He will be able to find her for us and find out what is going on," Giles explained. Willow felt a little relieved but not much. She was in danger of losing her last best friend. This trip to Washington had to be something she could cut short somehow.

"Thanks for the heads-up," Willow agreed.

"Listen we do not know if this is some sort of concerted attack on us. I am going to look into Xander's death again," Giles promised.

"As soon as I am back, I'll help," Willow agreed.

"Be very careful and try to stay in safe places," Giles said.

"I will. Goodbye Giles," she said.

"Goodbye Willow," Giles replied.

--

Buffy blinked and realized that it was warm around her. She looked around. She was lying in some tall grass except for the areas, where her landing had smashed it to the ground. Buffy tried to get up and looked at herself. She immediately felt a few flashes of pain. She studied her body. She had bruises and scrapes several places, but as she slowly moved her fingers, toes and limbs she became sure nothing was broken. She looked up. "It could have been a dream," she thought, but as she studied the blood stains on her clothes. Blood from her dad, she had hard evidence that most of that evening had happened. There had been a flash of light and since that moment her memory turned a bit hazy. Buffy stood up and looked around. She had no idea where she was only that it looked like arid brush lands. Thinking of her dad she wanted to lay back down and scream, but she couldn't.

After the first few steps she had taken Buffy began to think. She hadn't wanted to. She thought about how a few words had brought her Dad's terrorist employers gunning for them. How her dad's employers according to him would be looking to kill her now and until they died. How anyone she told was in the same kind of danger. So she couldn't just go back. She couldn't could she? But would she survive on her own if she couldn't connect to people. She'd have to disappear, she decided. She hated that idea immediately. She sucked at undercover work. She had always hated having a secret identity. But Buffy would have to become a ghost and she would have to do that without telling her mom, Willow, Angel or Giles what was happening. Buffy stared out at what seemed almost like a desert surrounding her and she started to cry. Because even if her dad had been wrong, she would not take that chance with the lives of those she loved.

--

Meanwhile in Westchester, New York, Ororo Munroe also known as Storm of the X-Men was entering the room of Professor Xavier. Her mentor and very close friend was sitting staring out the window. Jean's death still hung like a shadow over them all but most heavily on the Professor and Cyclops. At least they were both getting over it, even if slowly.

"You wanted to see me, Professor," Ororo asked.

"Yes, I wanted your opinion on some thing. Cerebro registered a very strong mutant last night. As strong as me and Magneto. I have been unable to lockdown the signature due to the nature of the mutant's powers, they are entirely psionic in nature and create a disturbance I couldn't penetrate. Even then I worry if I should even reach out to this one. I am not sure we are ready to pick up more students right now. We'd need more teachers. You and I are stretching ourselves very thin at the moment," he said.

Ororo wanted to say no, she hated the idea of leaving someone out there in the wilderness of human civilization. But the Professor had more of a point than he realized. She wasn't sleeping all that well and since Wolverine had left on a short trip to deal with his feelings over losing Jean, they were very short staffed until Cyclops recovered.

"How about if we asked Hank to return. He is a capable teacher," she suggested softly.

"I have asked him. He has decided to take up a position in the Department of Mutant Affairs that the President has offered him and won't be able to teach at the same time," Xavier revealed.

"He can do a lot of good for us all there," Ororo agreed.

"Yes. Kurt has decided to stay, but he is not ready to teach yet himself. He will be soon enough though," Xavier explained.

"I am glad," Ororo said. She had to admit the faithful prankster was swift becoming a close friend and had seemingly also struck up friendships with both Logan and most of the older kids.

"What about Kitty and Peter?" she asked.

"They are almost ready to be X-Men, but both are far from ready to teach the same goes for Bobby and Roque," Xavier explained.

"Then while we have the room, we'll have to leave this one out there for now," Ororo said.

"Yes, but I will keep an eye on this one. Mutants as powerful as you or I are very rare," Xavier mused.

"Magneto would want to recruit someone like that as well," Ororo suggested.

"Thankfully the manhunt for him is still going strong. He is not in the country according to what I can glean from the minds of his brotherhood. For all that his helmet protects Eric, it doesn't prevent me from reading the mind of Mystique or Pyro. Eric is looking for more allies at the moment and he is feeling politically weak as well, but I fear he is planning to change that somehow. For now I think we must just hope that the mutant is able to survive on her own," Xavier explained.

Ororo nodded. She had usually left discussions with the Xavier about Magneto or general strategy to Jean and Scott, but since neither were here she would listen and try to help.


	3. Sundering Changes, part 3

Sundering Changes, part 3

Buffy wondered for a moment if she had dreamed yesterday. Had she really flown under some sort of power of her own? It was all a bit hazy. How else could she have gotten to where she was thought. She looked down. She was unsure if she dared to test it though. Of course she realized after looking around. There were no one around to laugh at her if she did something foolish. Buffy tried jumping in place. She tried imagining her flying. But neither did her much good.

"Fuck it," she thought not one to curse out loud. Her hands flashed white and there was a smell of ozone in the air. She stared at her hands for a while. She tried again pushing her anger at her destiny to the fore of her mind. The white flash reappeared and Buffy felt her hair flutter from a sort of shockwave that came from her hands. Buffy tried and direct the energy because it wasn't really anger, but something close to that. It was separate from her emotions. She directed it down using her hands. There was another short flash and Buffy flew backwards.

She landed several yards closer to where she had woken up tumbling through the sand painfully. She lay there trying to regain her bearing for a moment. Buffy knew she could have laughed, but it wasn't in her to do so at that moment. Not while wearing the dried remains of her Dad's head on her clothes. Forcing herself back up, she decided to try and avoid dealing with what ever new weirdness had entered her until she could really think things through. She did however need to find out where she was and then from there find a way to some sort of civilization. Looking around Buffy noticed a plane in the sky. It wasn't exactly high and it looked like it was getting lower as she followed it with her eyes. It flew off into the distance going down behind some distant mountains. Her shoulders slumped and her stomach growled.

--

Buffy felt her clothes stick to her skin, she was thirsty and her head spun. As a Californian she knew this was all bad. She had been walking in the opposite direction of the mountains reasoning they were probably further inland and that some sort of civilization to be in the other direction. But she hadn't gotten very far. Which meant she had to try again. Try and use the power she wasn't sure she had. She knew she had to keep up her propulsion for lack of a better word. So weird as it was she tried to force herself up and the energy. The white energy exploded around her hands like white golden flames. White closest to her then fading into a reddish golden color quickly at the edge of the flames. Buffy tried to force it to exude downwards and it did. There was an explosion of sand around her for just a moment then she was away from it like fired out of a cannon. She shot upwards.

She reached a few hundred yards height then Buffy looked down and lost her concentration. The fall started immediately as she dropped like a rock back down. "Shiiiiit," Buffy cursed as she tumbled uncontrollably. The light returned and she nearly blew herself into the ground. Only gymnastic training from the past and some sort of new instinct made her move her feet around so she flew back up then leveled herself out. She was flying almost horizontally.

Using the power felt like a warm and comfortable rush in her body, like just when you started running. It wasn't hard or difficult at all. Buffy studied the ground passing below her. Experimentally and maybe foolhardily she moved her body finding it natural to control her flight almost like you'd swim. The energy surrounded her and responded to her body shape especially the angle of her legs. Buffy tried not to wonder where it came from or how she of all people had to be saddled with something new and weird. She didn't dare. She was too busy trying to make it somewhere with water and food. She didn't want to be reasoning out why she was flying twenty yards or so above the ground at speeds matching that of a jet plane. Buffy looked up as she crested a stony hill and came down into a valley area. There in the middle of it all lay a town. Not tiny, about the size of Sunnydale really. It would have be her first stop. To avoid drawing attention by flying like a white hot meteor across the sky she attempted a landing just over the hill.

However as she tried to slow down she misjudged her speed and how to put down her feet. She hit the ground and tumbled into a mess of grass, the strange fire she emitted and smoke from the immediately obliterated grass. "Ow," Buffy commented before getting up. Miraculously her clothing had only gotten dustier from her landing but seemed otherwise intact. Given that she was wearing slacks over a tank top and a zip up hoodie covered in blood that was probably not a bad thing. Buffy decided to finally unzip the hoodie and tied it inside out around her waist before descending into town, wondering all the time how she'd get to some other place, of what she'd survive and where that other place should be especially if she couldn't go home.

--

The days came and went for Xander now. He considered if he had really died and gone to hell. Sure they fed him, but dinner was becoming something to fear. Sometimes when he ate, he passed out from what ever drugs was in it, some times the food was clean. They gave him new clothes through the slit and expected him to return the dirty ones through the same opening. He had seen his guard, a soldier with a face covering mask and no name tag. But that was just the half of it. The other half were the days when they did drug his food. Like they had done this day. One moment he had gingerly eating the next he faceplanted into his tray.

He woke up on a gurney. He was strapped down with metal bands. An ivy was placed in his arm and some sort of hazardous device was bolted into place over his left leg. "Subject: 471, experiment 28. 471, this is an attempt to analyze the nature of your healing ability. The container above your leg stores a solution of hydrochloric acid. It will apply several drops onto your skin. Feel free to try and keep your leg in one piece." The pain came soon after. They'd force him to heal himself or by some attached electroshock device to use his killing ability to drain him of his entropy or just to see how long range he had or how long it would take him to kill a certain sized living thing. He tried not playing along, but the punishments were harsh.

His legs, his arms even his chest had several scars now. That was a part of it. He could heal even regenerate things, but he couldn't do it exactly enough. There were always scars. He hated his captors. They treated him. And everyone else in this prison like they were animals. Even if he had killed his parents, Xander didn't feel he deserved to be treated like he was. After all he was pretty sure his dad had to a degree deserved some of what he had gotten.

When he was done Xander was drugged again and as usual woke up back in his cell. "Pssh, Toad, you back yet," Xander asked. His friend whom he had yet to see, but had been described in detail, had been picked up for experimentation just before him.

"Yeah, they wanted to see if I could handle cold this time. Something about some sort of amphibean ability. Fucking Homo Sapiens," Toad cursed and spat in his cell. "How about you? You okay friend?"

"No, I'm not. They had me try and keep up with acid dripping in my leg. But I did as we talked about. When they made me kill to relieve the pressure, I held back. They don't know my range. They don't know how strong I am. Just like you told me to play it," Xander said.

"Alright, now remember. You have to stay focused. Keep your body fit. Any way you can. Train even if you hate it. We need to be strong if we're to escape," Toad said.

"I know. When I have the chance. We're getting out of here. Sooner or later we're getting out," Xander swore as much to himself as for the benefit of his listener.

"And then they have to pay," Toad whispered.

Xander had protested that and the intention behind those words in the past. But now he kept hearing the cold unemotional voice of his tormentors, telling him to hurry up unless he wanted the acid to eat through his leg. And he remembered all the other times they had hurt him. He would be free of torment if they got free and killed their way out. He didn't deserve to be treated like this. Maybe Toad was right the times he had said that Xander had been right in killing his parents. They had been torturing him too. Years of beatings by his dad, willful ignorance by his mom, the constant chores, the name calling and all the other little things. Xander felt a calm come over him as he thought, "They deserved to die."

--

Willow was finally back in Sunnydale. She was pacing as well. Pacing around in Giles' new home. Bought to cover for Kendra the new Slayer, who was to live with him full time. Jenny Calendar had been chanting over the laptop, an item Willow envied a bit. Her computer science teacher was looking for Buffy. They kept asking the Seers and they swore Buffy was alive, but the police and the FBI had closed the case days ago claiming Buffy had been blown to smithereens by a gas main. A story Angel had confirmed as complete bullshit. The site had been scoured by a huge explosion but there had been no gas mains under Buffy's dad house. Angel had been in LA since the night after the explosion nearly two weeks ago. But even with the magical folk sure Buffy was alive there hadn't been any contact with her.

Willow had seen Joyce once. The woman was completely wrecked by all of this and had done little else than cry during her entire visit. Willow wondered what the woman would do now. Giles claimed her gallery had been closed until further notice. The funeral for Buffy had been a small affair. Buffy had many admirers but not that many friends or family it seemed. Willow, Giles and Jenny had made appearances. Willow had done it to console Buffy's mom and hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysteriously disappeared Buffy, whom she was sure had to be lurking nearby, but that hadn't been successful as Buffy hadn't shown her face.

"I got her," Jenny said as the image of a map of the US on the computer screen seemed to bend and twist. But not in LA or even in California at all. It showed a twist up in Seattle.

"Seattle?" Willow said and looked around at Giles, who in turn looked at Jenny. The black haired woman nodded in reply.

"I'll call Angel," Willow said and headed for the phone. She passed the almost eerie quiet Slayer Kendra. The girl seemed almost like a soldier around Giles and treated her and Jenny like unwelcome intruders or at least she had done so until Giles had described them as reserve Watchers. Since then the girl had treated them with quiet indifference or even deference. Angel couldn't get close to her though. Even with the vampire helping out, the Slayer couldn't stand him and had already suggested killing the vampire a few times. So far Giles had been able to order her not to do so. Willow meanwhile had her own opinions of Kendra compared to Buffy and none of them were favorable. Sure Kendra knew the moves and the handbook something Willow had not even known existed, but Willow felt Kendra lacked something. An edge of some sort was missing and it was weird because Kendra was a better martial artist than Buffy at least when it came to formal training.

Willow dialed the number Angel had given them to reach him in LA. Willow wondered if the vampire had similar arrangements ready in Seattle, because it seemed he had a residence ready and waiting when he had gone to LA. Maybe Angel was like in the Highlander movies with money, land and stuff from several centuries lying around. He was mysterious that way. Willow didn't have to wonder why Buffy had been at least slightly interesting in Angel.

"Yes," Angel replied.

"Hi," she said almost intimidated by the cranky sounding voice of Angel.

"We just managed to scry Buffy's position. She's in Seattle near the harbor according to our map," Willow explained.

"Damn. It'll take me a few days to get all the way up there. Try to do it again in a few days to see if she's moved," Angel suggested.

"Good idea. I'll tell Miss Calendar. So. . . How is LA?" she asked making small talk because she really didn't have anyone to talk to except two adults and a very silent Slayer.

"It's LA. Unreal would be a good word I think," Angel explained.

"Oh," she said not sure how to continue.

"I'll call you when I get to Seattle," Angel said.

"Bye," she said. Angel said goodbye as well and she hung up.

--

Paul, the LA security division leader for AIM, looked at his right hand woman Celia who had just entered his office at the IDIC with a memo and a look that told him she had news. She handed him the memo. "A hit on the Sunnydale surveillance. I thought SHIELD had found evidence that suggested both of Hank and Buffy Summers were dead," he said. He hoped the lead was thin. He had stuck his neck out and told his bosses that they could tell HYDRA that the Summers family was not a problem anymore.

He listened as Celia played the audio capture of the girl Willow Rosenberg telling a man named Angel currently in LA that they had scryed Buffy Summers position to be some where in Seattle.

"Scrying, more of that magic stuff. What's you verdict is this reliable?" he asked.

"I believe it is, but I am not sure that'll be any help. We'd have to but a sizable team in the field in Seattle to have a chance of catching a single or pair of targets," Celia told him.

"Do it, rather be sure than get murdered later for trying to stupidly cover up my big mouth. I'll go face the brass with the news. And Celia about the team, use mercs not our own guys. At least let us have Miss Summers in captivity or dead before we tell HYDRA that we slipped up," he said.

The woman nodded in agreement. "Leave it to me sir," she said.

--

Getting out of California had been Buffy's first big problem. She had no money, no clothes and no one to ask for help. She hadn't considered theft something she would ever do, but when left with nothing to call her own and no way to get away without staying too long in one place she had gotten around to it. Being able to fly made getaways easier too at least in theory as no one had caught her yet. She had picked some clothes hanging out to dry in a backyard. Only enough to replace the one's wore and some extra underwear. She had felt so rotten afterwards that she had decided to hitchhike out of town. The first driver to pick her up had been really disgusting but he hadn't tried anything thankfully. Not unless an offer of a few hundred bucks for sex was doing anything. Buffy had refrained from hitting the asshole, but she had left at the next stop they made and gotten a temp gig for a night as a dishwasher in the roadside diner. The money from that had covered her first real meal in a while and the rest had gotten her a night in a motel room.

The next two rides had gone almost without a hitch. One guy while overly religious and preaching at her the entire trip had shared food with her and offered to take her to a mission or shelter. But they had only been in Oregon and Buffy wanted at least a state between her and what had happened. It had been on the news as a footnote. Gas main explosion kills father and daughter. At least everyone thought her dead. That was probably better.

Buffy thought, she might not get hunted if she stayed under the radar and her friends would get closure. It hurt to think about her friends and that she might never see any of them or her mom again. Especially now as she stood at a truck loading terminal in the harbor area of Seattle trying to decide her future.

She looked around and tried to decide what she could do. She couldn't keep living off scraps and random luck. Buffy knew she needed something more permanent. Some sort of place where they wouldn't ask too many questions or for details like social security numbers or expect her real name. Contemplating that she did what she could to try and avoid thinking about how shabby she looked or how dirty. Buffy abhorred being dirty or wearing the dirty clothes. But her concern for her mom and friends safety won out over her fashion sense. Still she wanted money and a place to live.

For hours until the early evening Buffy wandered the streets trying to figure out a way to get money that wasn't horrible or criminal. The worst part she realized as she walked was that she didn't even need to work that hard at doing the criminal part. Somehow her losing of her Slayer status had changed her into something that could fly and survive crash landings. She hadn't really played with her new power, because she didn't much like the idea of her having new unknown powers just after getting rid of her Slayer powers and because she had seen a picture on the news of what had been left of her Dad's house after her first takeoff. Buffy was fairly certain she could repeat that incident easily. The power was there all the time. Just below the surface of her skin ready to come out. At times she wondered if it was just her imagination or if it was really getting stronger from day to day.

"Singer, run!" A high pitched voice yelled from nearby, followed by the smack of a fist on skin and the high pitched scream of a girl. Buffy reacted on based on her ingrained reflexes. She charged in the direction of the noise running into an alley following it until it turned into another alley that ran behind the tall building. A boy dressed in warm clothes for the season lay on the ground blood flowing from his nose. Down the alley a man dressed in a brown overall was carrying a struggling bundle of clothes towards a van. Buffy looked around. There were no one else coming to help. She didn't hesitate more though. Buffy ran down the alley at the man not thinking but just reacting.

Buffy grabbed the bundle of clothing from behind and tore it free. She didn't notice that her eyes were glowing white hot like furnaces. She didn't care, she could see the dirty mattress and shackles through the van door. The man whirled around. He looked entirely normal. Like any delivery man, just a tall and burly one. "Hand her over now, she's mine," the man commanded.

"So you can violate her, you disgusting piece of shit," Buffy yelled as she turned and fired off a circle kick into his guts. The man flew back like she had hit him with full Slayer strength. He hammered into the top of the doorsill in the van rocking the vehicle before dropping to the ground. He gasped painfully and drew a few shuddering breaths. Buffy winced and then looked at herself. It was like she had gotten her strength back or at least something like it.

"We have to get out of here," a girl's voice said and a small hand wrapped around hers before it started to pull her away.

Buffy looked down and saw a girl of about ten with dark blond hair and a beautiful face dressed in two coats and jeans. It looked very hot for summer in Seattle, but she didn't want to ask. The girl looked about as dirty as Buffy imagined she would have been at first glance.

"We need to see how Dream is doing," the girl said, "please." She added just after. Buffy backed away from the guy she had just taken out then turned and headed back down the alley towards the boy, who seemed to be getting up only slowly. Buffy hoped he hadn't gotten badly hurt.

"Dream, what kind of name is that for a boy," Buffy asked.

"Dream, isn't a boy, she's just not all that girly. Besides it's a nice name, we picked it together," the girl dragging her along said as if it was the most natural thing to explain along the way to a complete stranger.

The girl stopped next to what was apparently the other girl and Buffy could immediately see the almost perfect resemblance. The girls were twins, one just had short hair and the other long. Their faces were an almost perfect match as were their height. Buffy crouched down and checked out. The nose was thankfully not broken, but the bleeding was profuse. She had nothing clean to press over it, but before she could look around for something, the girl she rescued handed her an almost clean handkerchief. "Thanks, what's your name then," Buffy asked while gently dabbing away the blood.

"My name is Singer," the girl she rescued replied.

"Singer, that's a. . " Buffy stopped herself from criticizing. She berated herself, she at least should know better than to give anyone flak for their names.

"What's your name?" Singer asked as Dream stirred and looked up at Buffy in sudden fear probably uncertain about what had happened.

"Buffy," Buffy replied.

"That almost sounds like a flatscan name," Singer said her voice never losing the cheerful tone.

"Flatscan?" Buffy asked not having heard that term before.

"That's what Orion calls the humans," Singer explained.

"Orion, humans? You two look human to me," Buffy said.

"Well, we're not," Dream said and fought to get up.

"Singer, are you okay?" Dream asked her big eyes looking around after stopping her attempts to get up for a moment.

"I'm okay. Buffy saved me. She's really strong," Singer explained.

"Whoa there kid, you should relax for a moment. You were knocked out. You could have a concussion. If you do we have to get you to a hospital," Buffy said not really sure how to explain it and realizing that none of them had any medical insurance to use. The girls looked like runaways.

"We can't go to the hospital. They don't want us. No one wants us except Orion," Dream said and got up. She swayed for a moment but stayed standing. Buffy studied her wondering if she should pick the kid up and drag her to a hospital, but decided against it as the girl quickly steadied herself.

"Dream, this girl is nice. She helped us. No one else came. Maybe she's like Orion. A Hero," Singer suggested. Buffy wondered who that Orion was and where the girl's parents were at the moment.

Dream seemed to study Singer for a while then nodded. "If you trust her so do I. Orion?" Dream asked. Buffy had this feeling she was only hearing a little of a longer implied conversation going on between the twins.

"He can tell. And maybe she'll stay too," Singer said. Buffy looked at the two girl wondering what she had gotten herself into and why they insisted they weren't human. Had she just put her foot into a nest of demons or something, she wondered.

"Please, Buffy, would you come to meet Orion. He would love to meet you. He always gets excited when he meets other people like us," Singer asked, while Dream just watched her silently with her big eyes.

"I don't know. What makes you think I'm the same as you. And that you're that different," Buffy asked.

"Oh, because I saw your eyes become like white fire," Singer said.

"Really," Dream asked her sister. Singer nodded vigorously.

Dream looked up at Buffy, "Nice. I wish I had something like that to keep..."

Down the alley there was the sound of a door slamming. Buffy looked back and saw that the van door had been closed and the engine switched on. "We should go," she said.

They headed out on to the street the twins staying close to her. "So where is this Orion?" she asked.

"He had to go work and we thought we'd go out and beg for some money, but that man came and took Singer. Thank you," Dream said.

Buffy studied the pretty but dirty twin girls. They were beggars. She felt her heart go out to them. At least she had experience with the dangers of the night. No kid their age should have that. "So where are we going?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, we have a nice place. It's got water, heat, electricity and everything," Singer said.

Dream snorted, "Except cable and food."

"I'm sure its nice," Buffy said as the girls led her through the city to an abandoned looking building with boarded up windows. She noticed there was a lot of graffiti everywhere but the tags on the building was different. On the house the tags were more goth with spiky edges and in several places an X or a capitol M stood all alone again their background. The girls led her to a side door, where it turned out the wooden boards were mounted on a regular door. They only opened the door enough to get in then slid in waiting inside for Buffy.

Singer led them up a set of backstairs into a lighted room. Buffy realized the light would have been visible from the outside if someone hadn't painstakingly covered every window in the room with cupboards. A boy maybe a year younger than her with short black hair and pale skin sat on an old couch reading a book. A radio was playing but the volume was set really low. Two pizza boxes stood on the table in front of him. He seemed calm until she followed the girls into the room. Then he jumped up and advanced on her, quickly putting himself between her and the girls.

"Orion, she's okay. She helped us. We went out to beg, but a bad man took Singer and she rescued her before anything happened. She really kicked his ass too," Dream explained.

"Please let her stay. She's a friend," Singer said.

The boy faced her again and he said, "Hello, friend. I'm Orion. And you are?"

"Buffy," she replied.

"Thanks for helping them. Listen we don't have much, but the rule of the house is you get to stay for free one night then you have to pitch in. You look like you need a place to stay and some food," Orion said.

Buffy hated taking charity especially from people who needed, but she was really hungry. "I guess I could do with some food," she admitted.

The girls dug into the pizza that the equally skinny Orion had brought. He ate with them, having waited for the girls return apparently. Buffy wondered if he hadn't been worried, but realized that maybe they had to go out and beg to earn money.

After having eaten the girls withdrew to a small stack of pillows in the corner and removed their coats. Singer started humming a beautiful tune that reminded Buffy of the lullabies she faintly recalled her mom had tried singing when she had been just a little kid. Singer and Dream occupied themselves with trying to read a book by spelling their way through it.

"You do any drugs?" Orion asked in a tone of voice low enough that the girls wouldn't hear.

"No," Buffy replied indignantly.

Orion studied her then nodded. "I believe you. I just don't want anyone doing drugs near the girls. They're gonna see enough shit in their lives that they can't have someone they like do drugs and be a bad example."

Buffy was about to say that she wouldn't be around. She wasn't safe to be around. She regretted having used her name at all. "I won't be around," she said.

Orion studied her then nodded, "Maybe not. I noticed you used your real name. You should not do that. It's one of those things we don't do here. If you get caught then at least they won't know who you are and neither will we."

"I don't have any other names I could use," Buffy said. She had a middle name but she was fairly certain her Dad's employers knew that one as well.

"You should think of one," Orion explained.

"How did you come up with yours? Noticed it in a book and liked it," she commented.

"Not really. I got mine from a friend in junior high. Singer and Dream, well we picked them to fit their mutant powers," Orion said.

"Mutant powers," Buffy wondered and looked over her shoulder. She had heard about mutants in the news. Even with all the trouble she had gone through she had still noticed the Ellis Island thing. She had even had the conversation with Giles about if they were demon related somehow, but he had reassured her that according to what the Watchers knew the mutants weren't in the purview of the Slayer.

"Yeah, they can do only minor things, but it was still enough to make their parents try and give them up to the state. They ended up in a group home. I met them there and when things got bad I took them with me," Orion explained.

"What are their powers?" she asked.

Orion studied her then smiled. "Dream can show you an image what someone else's dreams or a memory that someone want to show you. She can't pull just anything from your head, only what you want to show. And when Singer sings you usually find yourself hearing one of the most wonderful songs in your life, you won't remember the song but afterwards only that it made you really happy or sad in your past or what other emotion Singer wanted to project to her listeners. Thankfully Singer likes to make people happy. What about you, what's your power? You're extremely strong, that I can tell," Orion asked.

"I'm not. . ." Buffy was about to protest, but she just sat there thinking for a while. Had she died and come back a mutant instead of a Slayer. Was that the reason for her new abilities? She really didn't know.

"I am not sure I'm a mutant," she said.

"I am," Orion said.

Buffy looked at him. "That's part of my power. I can see this aura around people. Every thing that's alive really. I can see what they are like as people. How healthy they are. If they're lying and things like that. And I can see if they're mutants and if my guesses are right about what the different sizes of auras mean how strong they are as well. You have a mutant aura. A big one." Orion explained.

Buffy looked at him for a while. "Really," she asked.

"Yes," Orion explained.

"So what does that have to do with the name?" Buffy asked.

"Orion is the name of the hunter. That's my power. Well once I've seen an aura I can track it, find it again. I can't reach very far, but I could be all the way across Seattle and still tell you exactly where to find Singer and Dream," he explained.

"So no super strength or anything like that," Buffy said.

"Yeah, I know. Sucks to be me really," Orion replied.

"So really you know about people from looking at them," she said.

"Yeah, it's not an exact thing. I have to interpret what I see, but I can tell something. Like you're tired. Let me guess. This is your first time on your own," Orion remarked.

"Yeah," Buffy said and yawned.

Orion waited a moment in silence. "You don't wanna talk about it. I can understand that. How about you put your head down over there. We'll talk in the morning," Orion suggested.

Buffy looked over at the couch then nodded thankfully. These were nice people.

--

Xander was screaming. Not because of his anger at his imprisonment. But because it felt like his body was on fire. The bastards were testing to see if he could cure other things like infections. So they had injected him with something and now all he could do was scream in pain as his body was wracked with fever. He cursed them. He would get them and they would all pay in blood. But his power didn't respond. It was working too hard at keeping him alive.

--

Buffy woke up with a gasp to the sound of someone singing what sounded like an operatic piece.

"Singer, be quiet, someone outside could hear you," Dream complained.

"But Orion told me to wake Buffy," Singer said.

"He also told you to call her Nemo until she picked a better name. She can't be Buffy because then the bad men will come for her like they'll come for us if we use our human names," Dream explained.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Good morning, Nemo," Singer said and smiled. Buffy just tried to pad down her hair to some semblance of normalcy.

Orion walked into the room. He was wearing a new set of clothes much like the fashion mix up he had worn the day before. His hair was wet. "You could borrow the shower. You smell more than a bit ripe. That goes for you two as well. You have to wash. It's not healthy being dirty and you don't want to get sick," Orion told Dream and Singer.

"We'll go after B... Nemo," Dream replied.

"Good," Orion agreed.

Buffy rose and walked in direction Orion had indicated. "Erhm, Nemo," she asked as she passed him.

"It's from a book I like. It's supposed to mean: No one or Nobody. So you can use that until you pick a new name. I want to talk to you when you're done," he said.

Buffy didn't exactly feel clean given that she was dressed in her dirty clothes but the wash had done her a world of good.

"You need a few changes of clothes. We wash ours on Fridays at a Laundromat. I think you should consider something like that too," Orion suggested as she walked up. Buffy nodded.

"Listen I want to make you an offer. If you want to, you could stay with us. You're new to this and you need someone to show you the ropes. I could do that. In exchange you help me protect the girls and make enough money for us to get by," Orion offered.

"Why would you want my help?" Buffy asked.

"I talked to Dream and Singer while you were sleeping. They told me what you did. You're strong. I'm not. I know the rules out here. It's dangerous. I could get a gun, but I am a lousy shot. I won't sell myself or the girls to any kind of peddlers for the money to get off the streets. That limits our options to pure survival. So we'll need someone who can strong arm the people, who'll try to screw us and help me make more money," Orion explained.

"Why not go to the authorities?" Buffy asked. She wasn't exactly a big fan of them either given her life in Sunnydale and the absolute ignorance the Police there seemed to struggle to maintain.

"Because they are who we're running from. Do you know what they do and don't do to mutants? Oh, officially we're like everyone else, we're supposed to have the same rights. But we have trouble getting even basic medical aid. We can't really get handled by the social services people so sometimes they just put us in juvenile detention. And if we go through the system you can bet those taking care of you and the other ones there will either hate you or fear you. Listen I can't do anything that harms anyone, but I got beaten senseless every night for three months just because I told someone that I was a mutant. Dream and Singer had no better. Their parents abandoned them and did they get caring foster parents. No they got shoved into a group home, where all the kids already hated one mutant and didn't fancy having two more around even when we were all harmless. Humans are assholes for the most part. But I don't hate them anymore. I nothing them now. I just want to live, work and make enough money to have a small home for me and the girls. Live a life," Orion explained.

Buffy studied Orion for a moment. She didn't know him. But she admired him nonetheless. "I'll help," she said. Buffy knew she needed someone to help her as well, and this boy was probably as good a guide as she could find.

"Cool," Orion said and breathed a sigh of relief. "Welcome to the party," he said.

--

Angel had searched Seattle with the remote help of Willow and Jenny Calendar for the better part of two days until he saw her. Buffy was standing, dressed quite different that usual next to two girls one of which was singing beautifully. Every once in a while a passerby would drop money in a wool cap placed in front of Buffy. A small crowd was gathering. "Police," other girl said and suddenly Buffy grabbed the cap and the trio made off across the street. Angel still seated in the blacked out car managed to follow them through town until they went into a vacant building. He drove up outside and waited.

He sat staring at the house when someone tapped on the driver window. He turned and spotted Buffy standing there her fist balled ready to punch through the window, which confused Angel as he thought she wouldn't have the strength for it any more. Slowly he rolled down the window and leaned away from the light. "Don't smash it please," he asked.

Buffy hesitated then asked, "Angel?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Shit Angel, you can't see me. You have to leave," Buffy said and backed away from the car barely avoiding stepping into traffic.

"Buffy please slip into the backseat. We need to talk. I won't leave. I have to know what happened," he said.

Buffy looked around. "Are you sure no one followed you?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"Okay," Buffy opened the backdoor while Angel cowered in the front seat covered in a thick tarp.

"All clear," Buffy said.

Angel threw off the tarp and turned in his seat. "What happened in LA Buffy?" he asked.

Buffy looked uncomfortable. "Listen you can't tell Willow, Giles or my Mom about this or that I'm alive," she said.

"Willow and Giles already know you're alive. They've been leading the search for you. Your mom thinks you're dead," Angel explained.

"Good. Or not. Poor mom. Please listen. You have to tell Willow and Giles to stay out of this. I can't tell you too many details. I stumbled into my Dad's shady business. He was dealing with terrorists and when I found out they tried to kill us. My dad told me that they'd kill me and anyone I told. It was the last thing we really talked about," Buffy said and sounded sad for a few moments.

"But why don't you go to the police or the government?" Angel asked even though he really didn't trust those entities this sounded like something akin to their problem.

"Because I don't trust them either. Besides I'd still be a target even if I get witness protection, and Mom would insist on being with me and then she'd get killed too," Buffy said.

"No one is impossible to bring down Buffy," Angel counseled her, but he suddenly recalled Whistler's words. And this was solving many of the issues Angel had with Buffy being in Sunnydale. "But maybe you're right. Why don't you tell me the rest. I promise I won't tell Willow or Giles. To keep them safe."

Buffy smiled at Angel warming his cold heart for a moment. "There are two groups after me. AIM who my dad worked for and HYDRA who were buying from them."

Angel nearly whistled in respect of Buffy's predicament or he would if it hadn't given him a cold knot in his stomach. He had never heard of AIM but HYDRA was a name no one with a knowledge of history would be able to miss. He had never dealt with them, but he had heard stories. They were brutal enough to have the respect of several demon clans and was said to even compete with the Hand. "I understand your worries. Listen for now your hiding might be a good idea. I'll try and find out if there is a way to get them off your back. Maybe make what you know irrelevant," he said.

"I don't really know much. A little about some sort of weapons deal and that it goes through my dad's firm and some place in the Middle East," Buffy explained.

"For now that seems to be enough for them to kill you. For people like that taking a life is a little thing to take, vile as they are," Angel said. He wanted to demonstrate certain things to these terrorists but he had to respect that they had enough resources to make anything he and Angelus came up with would not do more than attract their attention. But he would think on it as would Angelus, who for some twisted reason disliked not having Buffy near even more than Angel did.

"What do we do now? I can't tell Willow or Giles that I am running away, and you can't just go back and tell them I wasn't here," Buffy said and looked around the darkened car.

Angel thought it over. "I think I will tell Willow and Giles that you're safe but had to go into witness protection because you discovered something criminal in your Dad's firm and that they have to stop looking for your or they'll put you in danger. This is hard for me to tell you, but I think you have to cut your ties back to Sunnydale completely at least until it is safe for you to return. And we have to do the same."

"Wait a minute what about Xander? What's he doing?" Buffy asked probably realizing that Angel hadn't mentioned her other friend at all.

Angel sighed. He hadn't known that Buffy hadn't heard off Xander's death or its circumstances. "That is a different and dark story Buffy." Buffy waited for him to go on at least she neither said or did anything. "Xander. I don't know if you know this. Xander did not have a good home life. His parents had been abusing him for years since he was twelve in fact. They were alcoholics according to what Giles and I discovered. And they hated Xander. It turns out that Xander was one of those beings mentioned in the news. Mutants they're called. Anyway he had the ability to heal or harm people. He could have killed his tormentors a long time ago, but instead he endured and went on to help us. In fact I am pretty sure he was the only reason you woke up again in that cave. I don't think CPR was the only thing he did in that moment. He must have healed you. But somehow things came to a head at his home just on the day you had left for LA and his father beat him deeply. Xander defended himself but in doing so he killed his father and mother as well as all the plants around their home. He surrendered to the police but those incompetents left him alone in a cell after all that. Xander used the solitude to hang himself," Angel explained.

"What! No! Xander would not do that. He can't have!" Buffy yelled. Angel would not have been concerned for more than her happiness if it hadn't been for white flames roaring out of Buffy's eyes with each denial.

"Buffy, relax please. I know. Willow has mourned him deeply. I know this is a very trying time for her," he said.

Buffy blinked and her eyes returned to normal instead they watered over. "Oh I wish we could talk. I loved Xander like a brother, but to Willow he was so much more. She has to be in so much pain," Buffy sobbed. Angel left her alone only carefully watching over her as she lay in the backseat for a while. He wished there was a way he could crawl back there to hold her, but he knew he had to avoid getting too close to her for now. He had to made due with just being her friend.

Buffy sniffled. "I have to get back upstairs. The girls will be worried," she said.

"Buffy, I want to help you hide. I have some money stashed away that no one could trace if I gave you," he said wondering how he'd ask about Buffy's flaming eyes a while back.

"I... Okay I wanted to tell you something about pride, but I really want new clothes and some money for food so sure," Buffy said and got ready to get out.

"I'll be back around midnight with the money," Angel promised. "One more thing," he said.

"Yeah," Buffy asked her hand on the door handle.

"Your eyes shot flames when you were angry. Is there something else going on?" he asked.

Buffy frowned then said, "Xander wasn't the only mutant. Apparently dying and coming back was enough to make me one as well. You can tell that to Willow and Giles if you want to."

Buffy got out, but the dusky sun didn't reach into his car this time and Angel just waited until she had headed inside before heading back into town. He was going to empty one of Angelus' accounts. Angelus had never been a savings kind of guy and neither had Angel really, but that was more because the small fortune he knew how to get at was blood money owned by the Aurelius clan. With the Master, Luke and Darla dead and only Spike, Dru and the Anointed One as his heirs Angel wasn't afraid to steal that money anymore. Besides he doubted any of the younger vampires even knew it existed. Angel only knew because Darla had broken a promise a long time ago and told Angelus.

--

Willow wasn't pacing. Her room wasn't big enough for pacing, but she was impatient as she lay her eyes glued to the phone. The phone she expected to ring with the first good news in nearly a month. She had waited for hours but still she jolted in surprise when it did ring. She picked it up, "It's Angel. I am coming back down. Everything went as well as can be expected. I'll be there in two days."

"Angel what about," she didn't get to say Buffy before the phone beeped indicating the other end had hung up.

Willow frowned. Then she did something she very rarely did. She had a tantrum. Kicked the covers off her bed then the phone and finally she just lay there feeling stupid, childish and incredibly alone.

--

Angel stepped up to Buffy. He had found her waiting on the street near the house he had followed her too. It was probably where she squatted for now. He had tried that life himself and he hoped Buffy would be able to find something else soon.

"I have the money for you," he said and handed her a bag. It contained some cash and several of the plastic cards they used now to stand-in for money. It also had a nightstick, a flashlight, some clothes in Buffy's size he had picked out along with some new shoes.

Buffy opened the bag then looked up at Angel. "You didn't have to," she said her eyes filled with thanks.

"I know. I wanted too. Take the gift please," he said. "There should be enough money on those cards to last you some time. Don't try to be too stoic and bear it all by living on the streets if you don't have to," he suggested having gone down that route himself.

"Will you guys be okay?" Buffy asked always putting others first he thought.

"It'll be hardest on Willow and your mom. Giles will understand, but he'll worry. And the new Slayer will work out when Giles gets it through her thick skull that having a life to protect is half the battle and trying to jam a stake in my back is not helping," Angel said and smiled at Buffy's momentary expression of worry.

"She's coming around already. Besides she is good at following orders," Angel said.

"Hey, was that a subtle hint that someone here wasn't," she asked.

"Of course not," Angel replied then smiled. Buffy's shoulders sagged.

"I wish my life wasn't always this hard. I wish I could go home now," she said. Angel wanted to grab her and show her that it wasn't going to be hard, but he desperately fought a battle with himself and managed to avoid even twitching a muscle.

"It will get better. I promise," Angel said.

"Thanks, its a lie, but thanks anyway," Buffy said.

"It'll be a while until we see each other again. Try and stay safe. I'll keep everyone alive until you can return," Angel promised.

"I'll try. You do the same," she said and caressed his skin. They stood like that for a moment then he backed off and walked into the night and Buffy headed for the house.


	4. Sundering Changes, part 4

Sundering Changes, part 4

Willow stared at Angel from across the Slayer training hall. A building just across the street from the high school. Kendra was posted as close as she could without going to their high school when it opened next week. Willow wasn't looking forward to it as much as she used the other years. There was no Jesse, no Xander and no Buffy there any more. Only long days and possibly mortal danger broken by mockery by Cordelia and her gang of fashionistas.

Kendra couldn't go there. She just wasn't socialized. She jumped out at people, she was abrupt and she didn't seem to really like people or doing anything but hunt vampires. She was according to the Handbook a thing never mentioned in Buffy's time, a perfect Slayer. But Willow only pitied her and Angel told Willow that he thought she wasn't as good as Buffy. She lacked something. Passion according to Angel. Willow wasn't sure she disagreed either.

Xander and Buffy. They occupied her mind. Angel wouldn't tell them why Buffy was hiding in Seattle only that she was and that it had something to do with her dad having been involved in terrorism and now the terrorists were looking for her and if they got involved they'd get killed. Giles had gotten a few more details and had accepted the explanation. In fact he seemed tense but seemingly uncaring towards the fact that they had no idea where and what Buffy was doing and why exactly her death had been faked. Willow wanted to know more but even though Angel seemed to be talking to her more than he did to Giles, he swore he couldn't tell Willow more for her safety. She had considered trying to find Buffy herself, but had not been able to during a few of her net searches. Buffy kept a very low profile it seemed.

And Xander was a totally other story. Willow missed him. Every day she turned around and expected him there. A remark and a grin on his lips. He had been a part of the center of her world for so long that losing him felt wrong. And his death was a wrong that time didn't seem heal.

--

Paul looked at the report from Seattle then back up at Celia. "Still nothing. Invite these guys down here for a friendly meeting and have them all killed on the way. I'll call in some real pro to deal with everything. I wonder if there isn't some good killer on the market, who has some sort of tracking capability," he told her.

Celia nodded. Paul guessed she knew he was under a lot of pressure to get the Summers file closed permanently. It had been a long time, but there was still no trace of one measly girl. He knew he was hunting her on a single clue from a source that believed in magic, but living in LA helped with believing. "It can't be that hard to find a single Californian girl. It's not like she's a trained spy," he cursed.

"Maybe we should acquire the resource in Sunnydale that was able to track the target. That way we'd have a much easier time of it," Celia suggested. Paul looked up.

"Our contract says no. But maybe we can ask for a bit of assistance. Usually a few campaign contributions can move a lot of muscle in a place like Sunnydale especially given what kind of monster is the mayor. I guess we should start moving in on Willow Rosenberg before we spend a wad of cash on yet another manhunt through Seattle," Paul agreed.

"I'll see to it that our negotiators call up Wolfram and Hart immediately. I am sure they can facilitate any permissions we might need," Celia said.

"Do that," Paul said and turned to his next problem for the day as Celia left.

--

Buffy lazily stretched her body for a while before getting up. It was raining outside and so they had opted for a late morning. She looked over at Orion. He was awake and looking at the ceiling. Buffy admired her friend. He was always thinking and trying to come up with a better way to make money, a safer place to stay or planning for eventualities. Life in Seattle hadn't been easy even with the lump of money Angel had given them. Orion had forced them to only use it sparingly. It was a one off thing, so if they got used to it then they have to get used to not having it later and so it was better saved or used for stuff like new clothes.

Buffy had wanted to rent a small place, but no one had wanted to let a group of kids without IDs or a guardian take over some place and the few times they had gotten close to something looking like a deal it had either been with a pervert or Social Services and the police had come swooping in. She figured it a bad thing if she, supposedly dead and all, was caught by them and apparently so did Orion and the girls. They had run like mad that day.

It was getting a bit domestic in their little borrowed hideaway, but still they struggled. Orion couldn't always expect that one of the many fast food places wanted him to stand-in as delivery boy and Buffy hadn't got much luck securing a waitressing job either. Still they had food to eat if not always that healthy, a roof over their head albeit illegally and a lot of the time they had running water even if they had lost their power last week.

"Thinking heavy thoughts," she asked out loud as she noticed Orion frowning at something.

"Nah, I was just thinking we should teach the girls math," Orion said.

"Uh, you're not gonna be popular with that one. And I can't help you with that one. I can do the basics but anything fancy and I am drawing a blank thanks to the narcolepsy inducing teaching style of most Math teachers," she replied.

"Then I'll teach you too. If we don't learn stuff, we'll never get anywhere in life. We don't have money. I don't have looks or the inclination to be a trophy anything so smarts is the way to go. Smarts, hard work and guts those have to be our great equalizers," Orion said.

"You should read less," Buffy said.

"And you should read something other than fashion magazines," Orion replied. Buffy chuckled even if some dark part of her mind told her to listen. She didn't have neither trophy wife or slayer death on her immediate life expectancy chart anymore so she might have to learn something too. She had to face that she had some sort of future.

"Yuck, you made too much sense," she said and got up.

"Okay the last one out of your nest is getting tickled," Buffy said and dug into the growing pile of pillows that was the girls sleeping nook. There were laughs and chuckles as she dove in digging around for the two.

--

Xander coughed for a moment as he lay in his cell and waited. He was waiting for the return of Toad. His friend had been picked up by the guards two days ago for some further testing and he thought he had heard them dump someone back in his cell a few minutes ago. If their regular cycle was kept up he'd be picked up for more testing and torture in a day or two. They had been going easy on him lately, mainly because since they had nearly killed during the disease tests. Turns out that while he could keep the disease in check well enough he wasn't able to wave his mutant power over a case of the flu and have it disappear. He could handle other things like genetic faults even cancer, but something like a random bug had nearly gotten him killed.

According to the calendar he and Toad maintained by keeping an eye on each other he estimated he had been imprisoned in Neverland for nearly three months now. He tried not to wonder most of the time how Buffy and Willow were doing. He did wonder if the government had faked his death like they had done with Toad. According to what his cell neighbor had experienced during his last brief stint outside. He wondered if his friends missed him.

"Triage," Toad asked. It was their chosen name for him. Why should he keep his human name? He wasn't that guy anymore. Alexander Harris had died with his parents. Alexander Harris had been a lie. A mask behind which he had hidden his true self. Triage had been forged by the trials of Neverland and the past. According to Toad triage was what doctors did in a crisis to pick who got treated first. Essentially who lived and died. Xander liked that idea. He liked the idea of having power over something.

"I'm here," he said.

"I saw what I hoped for. I am certain of where the central control room is. If we can get there I can use the generators to alert our brothers and have them come to our rescue. This place will be destroyed and we will be free to do what we wish to do," Toad said. They didn't sedate him like they did Xander when they moved him. They only muzzled him, because of his tongue apparently. Xander they wisely didn't dare be close to, while he was conscious.

"I got all the energy I need stored in me. If I control it just right, if I unleash it at the right time I'll get the guard and make him open the cell and then I free you," Xander confirmed.

"Yeah. Then I'll rip the tracking collar of you, we make our way to the control room as fast as possible, send out the messages and try to hold out long enough. Sooner or later one of our brothers will come to our rescue," Toad said.

"Okay. I am ready. I'll try at the next feeding," Xander agreed.

"Good luck," Toad said.

"It has to work," Xander replied. He couldn't imagine spending more time in his cell. He wanted to be outside, be free of his tormentors. He deserved freedom. He had a right to a good life. And as Toad has taught him, it was his job to claim it.

--

"Welcome back," Xavier said as Logan walked into his office. His English class had left for their afternoon training with Kurt and Ororo.

Logan dropped into the couch that stood to the left of his desk.

Xavier sensed that Logan had something to say. Something that weighed on his mind. "Listen bub, I am still not sure why you'd want me here but I'd like to stay and help with the kids for a while," Logan said.

Xavier knew that was as close as Logan would ever come to saying that he had no other place to be and no other people in the world he cared about. "I think the kids would like that. You'd be helpful I am sure. I wonder if I could convince you to take over the Auto shop classes and help with some of the training of everyone's mutant powers. Scott is slowly getting back to teaching but I don't want to overburden him," Xavier explained.

"Because he's a precious flower," Logan commented.

Xavier raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"So do you think you could do what I ask?" He looked at the burly hairy Logan.

"Yeah, that won't be a problem. There," Logan was interrupted as Nightcrawler appeared in the room.

Logan was nearly out of his chair and rearing for an attack before the sound of Nightcrawler's had finished echoing around the room.

"Ah, entschuldigung, I did not want to interrupt," Kurt said.

"I think we're done here anyway," Xavier said. Logan nodded giving Kurt an irritated look before leaving.

"So is he back to stay," Kurt asked.

"Yes," Xavier said. "He wants some sort of connection to the world now. And luck has it that is us. I for one is glad to have him," he mused.

Kurt looked in the direction of Logan then said, "I wanted to talk to you about Kitty. I think she might be making trouble between Bobby and Rogue."

Xavier nodded and turned his thoughts towards the other tasks of a boarding school headmaster.

--

Xander waited close to the door and waited. He watched the hatch in his door open and the bulky armor-covered hand of the guard push the food inside. Xander felt tense.

Hr forced his power outwards into the guard, but tried to hold its full power back. He had to make it just enough to hurt but not kill one of his faceless tormentors. The guard collapsed with a pained gasp Xander could hear. "You have ten seconds to open my door or I kill you. I have nothing to lose. I don't give a shit about the others or any help coming. You'll be dead if you don't unlock the door," Xander said.

He remembered Toad explaining it to him, "One of the flaws of this place is that it was not really built as a prison. They don't have centrally controlled locking or audio in the cells. So each door has a lock and all the guards have keys."

The guard fought to stand and inched upwards. Xander pulled back his power even more. The guard ran his card through the lock next to the door and it unlocked. Xander tore it open and grabbed the key while unleashing his full power on the guard anyway. The guard shook for a moment then dropped back to the floor grabbing his chest. Xander ran past him and immediately unlocked Toad's door.

The greenish tinted man greeting him was a happy sight for Xander. They had described themselves several times. "You do look a little green, are you okay?" Xander asked as Toad bounded out of the room.

"Funny," Toad replied dryly and made off to the left.

"Shouldn't we release more people?" Xander asked.

"Unlock any cell you have time for, but we don't have time to stop and talk. Just unlock it and move on. And do it at a run," Toad said as a guard rounded a corner and was immediately wrapped in a long tongue that shot out of his friend's mouth. Xander heard the vicious snap of the guard's neck as the tongue tightened like a noose. Toad never stopped moving though. Xander stopped at door after door. He swiped the card through their lock not even looking inside to see if the cells were occupied.

An alarm started. They had been seen on the cameras. Toad led them together into the corridor that they thought led into the control room. The door had been closed but Toad threw himself against it, while Xander swiped the card through the adjacent lock. But nothing happened.

There was a growl behind them and a hairy man ran up grabbing the door.

"Sabretooth. I didn't know you were here. Triage, Sabretooth here is an ally, a brother," Toad explained. The huge man rammed his clawed hands into the wall and started to dig out the concrete.

"Hold," a voice yelled down the corridor. Xander turned and unleashed his power in their direction. There was a hissing noise in the air and a seemingly fine dust seemed to fall onto the ground in a path towards the advancing guards.

Both dropped silently and lay twitching a few moments.

Sabretooth looked at him gratefully. A frightening sight really for a man that looked at least part animal. The giant nodded in approval then turned and tore the door of its hinges. Xander threw himself down to avoid it as it was thrown down the corridor. A gun fired. But none of them got hit. Toad jumped into the room. There was a wet sound and then a frightened scream. Sabretooth charged into the cloud of concrete dust next. There was another brutal snapping noise then nothing but silence. Xander got up and walked inside. He passed two more corpses.

"I think we might have needed the door to be able to barricade ourselves," he said.

Toad didn't say anything. He was busy tapping stuff into a computer, while Sabretooth stalked back down the corridor. Xander meanwhile studied the monitors. There were many more captured here. All of them victims like him. He looked around until he saw another monitor picture. A pair of doctors one of them sure to be his cold hearted tormentor were doing amateur surgery on yet another of his race. He wanted very badly to go back there and kill the bastards, but for now they needed to stay free long enough to get Toad's much vaunted help here. Toad kicked the computers and smashed his tongue around the room.

He heard Sabretooh roar in the distance. Several shots were fired. "Listen I know we wanted to stay here, but plans change," Xander yelled over the noise.

"I know. We'll have to cause as much chaos as we can," Toad agreed. Xander nodded and followed Toad out of the room.

--

Pyro watched as Mystique hurried into Magneto's private chambers. He wondered what was going on. He was busy however. Magneto had helped make small flame projectors that were mounted in his sleeves and he had been busy testing them. Pyro enjoyed working with Magneto. Here was finally a man that wanted him to be stronger, wanted him to use his powers. Someone who could lead them, defeat the humans that were in his way. Pyro had never felt loyal to anyone before. He had been friendly with Bobby and Rogue but he had never really respected them or most of his teachers.

He had created a small man made of fire in the air in front of him when suddenly Magneto wearing his helmet came striding out. "We're leaving. I have just received the coordinates of a mutant prison. We must go to free our brethren," Magneto said. Pyro noted the usually calm and stoic elder mutant sounded furious.

Pyro nodded. "Coming," he replied and ran after the pair heading for one of Magneto's special aircraft. The X-Men weren't the only one's with resources.

--

Xander was amazed he was still alive. He was hiding in one of the labs of Neverland with Toad. The guards were keeping them suppressed with machine guns now. Sabretooth had gunned down earlier, but Toad hadn't seemed too bothered about that.

There was a lull in the constant firing. "Listen in there. There is no way out of there. If you surrender peacefully, we'll move you back to your cells to await trial," a guard yelled.

Xander didn't believe them. He guessed that after all the damage they had done. After all the guards they had killed. There was no way he'd survive a surrender now. Toad snorted derisively.

"Like we believe you," Xander yelled.

There was a tremble through the floor. Xander looked at Toad who started smiling viciously. There was another tremble stronger this time. Then the entire room seemed to rock. Xander had been in Earthquakes before, but this had to be a nasty one.

"Fuck," Xander heard a guard curse. Then there was a roar and a scream.

"Now," Toad mumbled and jumped out into the corridor spitting something down it immediately continuing by jumping down it. Xander edged up to the corridor and glanced out. Sabretooth. The bestial mutant had been gunned down earlier taking a shotgun blast to the chest. Now he and Toad stood over the defeated guards. Xander ran up the corridor. The building rocked again.

"He is here," Toad said.

"Who?" Xander asked.

"Magneto," Toad replied and set off down a corridor. Xander could hear the distant sound of fighting coming from that direction.

"Magneto," Xander gasped. He had heard the name before. He was a big fan of TV after all and while he didn't like watching the news sometimes it had been unavoidable. Sometimes he had watched anyway because it had been about mutants. Magneto especially had come up a few times. The government called him a terrorist. Looking around him at what the government had done to him, Xander thought he might be a hero.

The sounds of fighting died down. They entered a large loading area. Dead guards and smoldering crushed vehicles were scattered all over. Xander focused first on the blue sky and forest he could see through the large door leading outside. Then he looked towards the trio standing in the doorway. One was a woman who looked partly like a blue reptile, a man and a demon had mated to make her. There was a regular looking kid his age holding a globe of fire in his right hand and an older man pressed in dark colors and wearing a metallic helmet and cape.

Toad launched himself across the room and landed in front the caped guy. "Welcome to Neverland, Magneto. Where the US government plays with their doctor sets on their mutant prisoners," Toad said.

"I see, well that stops now. We'll free all our brothers and sisters from this hell and make sure all can leave here of their own free will," the gray haired man strode forward heading up towards them. "Who is this?" Magneto asked as they approached.

"Triage. He's the reason, we got out and were able to signal you. He is a powerful mutant," Toad explained.

"Greetings brother, I believe all here should thank you, but let me be the first. It is an honor to meet you," Magneto said and held out his hand smiling kindly. Xander looked at the man and saw steely will and a ruthlessness coming from some sort of dark memory. He also saw a genuine hero like Buffy had been. Someone doing what the authorities should have done and doing it right.

"It's an honor, sir," he said trying to remember his good manners for just a moment, which was hard given the colored costume, helmet and cape.

"Let us free the prisoners," Magneto said and strode past him. "Will you join us?" Magneto asked as the group of mutants started heading back inside.

Xander stood for a moment looking at the freedom outside, but then he realized that other people were probably still caught inside. Others like him or possibly innocents. He also knew if he went with them the government might consider him a terrorist too. That meant he wouldn't be able to go back to Sunnydale. And what would Willow and Buffy say? The only two homo sapiens whose opinions he cared about anymore. But then he would be a murderer to them no matter what. Still if he helped he really would be doing good. The mutants needed champions and that meant Magneto to him. And if he could help him then that would be like helping Buffy fight vampires. "Sure sign me on, if you want me," Xander said and followed the troupe of mutants into the shaded corridors of the prison.

--

"Professor, I think you want to see this," Ororo said and pointed the Professor towards the TV in the teachers lounge.

"What is it?" Charles Xavier asked wondering why Ororo had called him out a Physics class to show him something on TV.

Ororo activated the playback on the paused TV signal. They recorded everything important for later review using a system set up by Hank. Charles watched as a press secretary reported on a message released by Magneto. He denied that the Mutant terrorist's allegations of government sanctioned experimentation and internment of mutants were true and that the so-called evidence released by Magneto had to be false, because the American government would never violate the rights of their citizens no matter their race. Logan, who lounged on the couch, chuckled darkly at that, but didn't say anything. The news show then went on to air Magneto's statement coming from a ruined looking control room some place. He showed rooms and laboratories and had statements made to the shaky video camera by very angry looking mutants including several he and the X-Men knew well enough as criminals and terrorists. Then the news show host promised a deeper analysis later and Ororo shut off the recording.

Charles sighed and felt his hopes drop a little. They had known something like this happened. The base had probably been shielded from his detection by some contraption thought up by William Stryker and his racist scientists. Those mutants had a right to feel betrayed, no matter their deeds. Imprisonment wasn't the same as losing your human rights. "What will happen now you think?" Scott asked.

"The government will do damage control and cover this up. If it wasn't sanctioned they'll handle it internally rather than admitting error and give Magneto the PR victory," Charles said.

"I had hoped for something better from this government," Ororo said.

"Government's are huge entities with a vast difference in agendas between its internal parts," he said.

"I just hope Hank won't be a party to something like this knowingly," Scott mentioned.

Charles knew that his former student would never do something like that. "He would never. Hank might be too much of a politician to publicly call out the government on this but I have to believe that he will try and force the President to arrange things so that there won't be a repeat of this," Charles said.

"Let's not forget that once is once too many," Logan said sounding very anger an anger Charles really understood.

"I agree, however do we blame an entire species for the errors of a few individuals," Charles asked. Logan looked at him then almost imperceptibly shook his head. Charles took the victory not wanting to know where Logan put the exact difference between not the entire species and a few bad individuals, he knew he wouldn't like the answer to that.

"No," Scott said and got up. "I'll go make sure the kids understand that. You guys should expect them to have a lot of questions as soon as they hear," he said and left the room.

Charles smiled for a moment despite himself. He had felt it for a while now. While Scott still mourned Jean, he was coming back to himself. Scott would mourn for a long time to come, but it seemed he was slowly accepting her death and learning to live with it. "He is right. I think it is best if we discuss this event openly and lay it out with all the facts that we have. Logan would you mind taking the group that is waiting in my office and start their gym session early. I want to see if I can learn more using Cerebro," Charles asked.

"No problem, I'm sure the kids will love a little gym session with me today," Logan commented and cracked his knuckles after getting up.

--

They were making their way through the woods towards the aircraft Magneto said would bring them to his closest base. Several mutants had joined up with while a lot of others were making their way out of Neverland and the forest alone. Xander wished them well.

Sabretooth, who habitually ran out in front of them, stood at the edge of a large clearing and gravely pointed out over an area. The air had a strange chemical smell in it. Xander and the rest emerged into the clearing. There were two square areas dug into the ground. One had been filled in with dirt seemingly long enough ago for it to get covered in weeds and fallen leaves. The other was still open. In the bottom lay maybe ten corpses naked, without hair, mouthes open but having no teeth. A white powder covered their rotten bodies. Two had very obviously been mutants from their features.

"It has gone further than I feared," Magneto said and Xander noticed he was crying.

"We've waited too long. The humans think they can do to us whatever they want," Mystique agreed.

Xander didn't listen. He was too busy dry heaving.

--

It was late afternoon in Seattle. Buffy was playing bodyguard again, watching Singer while the girl sang her heart out and Dream gathered in what coins were tossed their way. It was a good day. There had been no gang bangers by to demand protection money and no police had rolled up to chase them off or capture them.

Buffy glanced over the small plaza in the downtown area as she did periodically to see if something was approaching. She was used to people running around chatting on their cells, but there was a guy that instantly worried her. He had just snapped a photo with his phone and was talking now nodding while staring intently at Singer and Dream. Buffy worried it might be police, social services or maybe even a journalist of some sort. She decided it was about time to stop any way. They had made enough to buy them some food and that was all they needed today because Orion had finally got a regular sort of bike messenger job by using a good fake ID they had bought using some of Angel's money.

"Dream, pack it up, we're going," Buffy said as she walked past the kid. Singer stopped immediate as Buffy and her twin started to move. Several nearby people listening seemed to awaken from somewhat of a stupor and they too started to go their way.

Buffy led them from the plaza really not liking how the man she had spotted had watched the entire time now. She decided it would be a great idea to avoid going straight home.

--

Willow sat in front of her homework. She had finished most of the work for the first few weeks already. The news was running in the background. Something about a mutant terrorist, when a voice said, "I was taken here without ever seeing a courtroom and tortured relentlessly." Willow looked up and saw a glimpse. A glimpse of a thin, pale and angry Xander speaking to the camera.

"Xander?" she asked and only after a few seconds remembered to breathe.

Xander was alive. He was not dead. He had not killed himself. Someone had tried to make them think he was and they had never been the wiser. They had not cared enough to check. She could get him back. She had to have her friend back. Maybe it had all been a lie then. A trick played on them all by someone in the government.

"But who did this. I have to find out after I find Xander," she said. Willow wondered if she could get Jenny Calendar to help, but the computer teacher had been distant for a while now especially after the Anointed One had tried to kidnap them last week. Magic might help but it had nearly drained Miss Calendar for a week when she had tried to find Buffy. Willow decided she'd still ask her teacher the next time she saw her. Meanwhile she might as well do some detective work herself.

Willow booted her computer and started by looking into what was written online about Magneto and the place that had just gotten liberated. Willow wanted to know about the prison and who had taken her friend from her.

The search quickly turned difficult and frustrating. Most of the stuff online was mostly focused on stuff who was right the government or Magneto, race issues and the like. Willow could care less. She wanted something else. She wanted to know about the details of the prison and where Magneto might be. It could give her a clue leading to Xander.

In the middle of her computer session Willow thought, "What if what's happened to Buffy is some sort of trick too?" She knew that Angel said Buffy was hiding, but what if Buffy had been forced to run and hide. What if those were the same people, she thought and started to search into the reports on Buffy's death. The FBI had pronounced Buffy and her dad dead from evidence found on the scene, but that was a lot like with Xander. She wasn't dead. Willow nodded to herself and again started the programs she wasn't supposed to have, the tools that other hackers on the net believed that a team of security gurus had made, but which had really been things Willow had made to ensure that she could help Buffy gather the information she needed from the servers of the Sunnydale administration. It took her time to find links between the FBI offices, getting government IP addresses, setting up dummy accounts and getting security clearances. She had to force her way into a workstation in a Atlanta field office that hadn't been properly security updated and use its connection to other government offices slowly making her way from network to network until she got into the FBI databases and from there had links to much more sensitive systems.

She downloaded the FBI files on both Buffy and Xander before working her way back erasing her tracks and the logs in the servers as she went. Willow sat in her room late in the night and discovered that both Buffy and Xander's cases had been handled by other government agencies. One called SHIELD had dealt with Buffy's case because of the circumstances and all her file held was the contact information of the agents in SHIELD who had written the final report and in Xander's case it was some sort of project named Weapon Plus that held Xander's file, what ever that meant. But Willow felt vindicated. She had been right. Nothing that had happened to her friends had been above board and now she had to help them. At least she hoped she'd be able to do so in the end. But that would require more information, the reasons behind that the agents who had written the reports hadn't been told. Willow decided to risk another deeper dive into the government system was due as soon as possible.

--

Buffy woke up from someone thundering up the stairs. She wondered why Orion was home so late and in such a hurry. The girls were sleeping after a long day out performing for money and Buffy had even managed to have them stay in while she had a few hours in a nearby diner. She looked up as Orion burst into the room. He was looking scared. "We gotta pack! Get the girls up, we gotta pack. I just heard two policemen talking to someone across the street. They were looking for the girls. They had descriptions," Orion said.

Buffy jumped up and grabbed her bag with spare clothes and toiletries.

"What's the noise all about," Dream asked her voice still faint and thick like she had just woken up.

"You gotta get up. The police is coming," Buffy said.

"Singer, wake up. Come on, we gotta go," Dream started whispered. There were a few murmured protests then Buffy could hear Singer's voice, but she wasn't listening too close. She was busy shoving everything from money to spare clothes into her and the girls bags. She grabbed a pillow as well and filled her bag to it.

"Go go go," Orion hurried as he finished packing too. Buffy looked around at the books, pillows and few toys that they wouldn't be able to bring.

Dream and Singer emerged with sleepy eyes and wearing only half the clothes they should. Instead of berating them, Buffy just started putting a shirt and their coats on the girls. It was warm even for the season, but if you slept in an alley or somewhere like that they'd probably get cold anyway.

"They're at the front doors," Orion said. There was a noise downstairs.

"Run!" Buffy commanded and the girls headed down the stairs then Orion and finally Buffy.

Buffy hammered down last getting to the door, when someone yelled: "Hold! Police!"

"Ma'am, put down your bag and then put your hands on your back pressing your thumbs together," a voice commanded behind her. Buffy knew she couldn't get caught. She'd have to run again and that she'd have to escape police custody. She decided it was better to just try and run then.

She lunged for the door.

Buffy was in mid air as the police man behind her fired his gun. The projectile hammered into the wall nearby. It had been a warning shot. She landed outside and started to run heading towards the street instead of in the direction she knew Orion had taken the girls. They had spots in downtown they had agreed to meet if they got separated like this. Orion had thought of that.

"Stop her," a voice yelled from inside the house. A figure jumped out of the night as she passed the corner of the house. He took her in a bear hold, pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her off the ground which was easy given her size.

"Let me go," Buffy commanded but didn't struggle. She was strong now. Strong enough to hurt someone unwittingly especially when she was agitated.

"Calm down," the deep bass voice of the man ordered.

"Please," Buffy said continuing to think, "I don't want to hurt you."

The police man threw her down. Buffy saw her chance and used her Slayer training just as she landed on her stomach. She flipped onto her back and then jumped back up to stand.

"Whoa," the police man said taking a surprised step back. Buffy decided to kick him on the shin, before the other rapidly approaching police man joined in.

The police man yelled in pain and Buffy set off through the overgrown yard, easily jumped the tall fence and ran as fast as she could into the night.

Buffy headed for the first best alley she could see and decided it was time to use her experience of hunting vampires and how they'd hide from public view in the relatively few back alleys of Sunnydale to her advantage.

--

Buffy had slept her first night on a bench and decided that complete homelessness was not for her. She wished she could go home and sleep in her bed, be with her mom and forget about the nightmares that filled her life. It had been the first moment like that in weeks and while Buffy cherished her mom, she admonished herself for being weak. Her mom's survival depended on her staying away.

She woke up. A car had run red lights and another car that had nearly had an accident was honking loudly. Buffy looked around. There was no sign of either Orion or the girls. Buffy immediately worried if anything had happened to them, if they had been caught by the police after she had gotten away. Buffy got off the bench and looked around an extra time. She needed to go and find her friends. She headed towards the other places they had talked about, hoping she had just made a mistake and Orion had taken the girls to one of the other places.

--

"So you're not really trained in the use of your powers?" Magneto asked Xander as he sat eating in the kitchen of the hideout of his new friends.

"Nope, I experimented a lot when I was a kid and since then I've only healed myself and a friend a few times. They wanted to find my limits at Neverland of course, so I got to use my powers a lot there," Xander explained.

Magneto nodded. "Then I'll try and help you to learn more about your limits. But with the cause as it is, I'll have to do it in-between other operations. Several of the others will also help with your training," the elder mutant explained.

"That's okay. If there is anything I can do to help just ask," Xander said.

"I am sure we'll find something, but first I believe you have a lot to learn especially about life on the run from the US government. They'll spare nothing in their quest to suppress us even kill us," Magneto said.

Xander nodded. He knew from personal experience just how vicious and inhuman the government could be. And they would pay. For every moment of agony. For every corpse of his fellow mutants they had found in the scarcely hidden mass-grave Neverland had kept in the wood. Sabretooth had taken them past it on their way out again. Magneto had cried at the sight and Xander had to admit he had felt an almost blinding rage since that day when ever he thought about it.

"What are you going to do?" Xander asked.

"We're going to find every single place like Neverland, free the prisoners and then level the place. And that is just the first step. Humanity has declared war on us. We should get around to fighting back," Magneto said.

Xander nodded. It had to be a war. He wondered what that would mean. He wondered about Willow and Buffy, how would they see things now and in the future. What would they say about all this? He wondered if there was some way he could send them a message. Telling them to duck and cover. Telling them he hoped they'd understand. He decided to ask Mystique about it later. She seemed to be Magneto's second in command.

--

Willow threw her book bag onto her bed and practically yelled in frustration. Jenny hadn't been able to trace Xander because they had no object tying to him. They had tried using Willow as a focus but even that had not been enough. Either it wasn't Xander or he didn't feel connected to her any more. Then she had asked Angel yet again to tell her everything about the Buffy situation. She had even suggested that maybe they should just solve it for her. She had thought that Angel would have wanted to pull off something like that. But he had plainly turned her down and Giles had told her to not even speak of it around Kendra.

So she sat on her bed and stared over at her computer. The files she had fished out of the government databases yesterday couldn't be the only ones that existed. She had to go deeper. First she needed to update her tools and that meant immersing herself into the world of computer languages, bits and bytes as well as the darknet sites where hackers like her met like minded people.

--

Celia ducked her head into Paul's corner office and said, "We've got an okay from Sunnydale. We can send two teams and pick up Rosenberg whenever we want. We had to promise that she wouldn't make it back alive, and pay a bit, but really it was a lot cheaper than we originally expected."

Paul smiled, "Put together a team. Use some Mexicans. There is a pool of professional kidnappers in and around Mexico City they should be both professional and affordable. Talk to Eduardo down in Department E, he's got the Middle America desk. I want the girl to tell or show us her tracking methods and once that is in order, I want her kept alive until we have Summers or Summers is dead. After that the girl dies and the kidnappers get paid as long as they don't discover who they're working for. Oh, yeah and remember to tell the Pride what we're doing or we'll get in trouble again. I want to be invited to the Wilders next party after all."

"No problem sir," Celia replied and left again. Paul smiled and turned his chair to look out over LA's downtown area.

--

Buffy felt tired. Her feet were hurting and she was resolved to ignore them. Her feet and her discomfort didn't mean a thing. She had still not found Orion and the girls. She was on her way to the potentially most dangerous part of her search. She had gone back to their house, but there had been no one waiting there neither her friends nor the police. She had picked up a few things that the police had left behind and headed out again hoping to retrace the steps of her friends somehow.

Buffy walked down the streets leading downtown and noticed a 24 hour open diner. She had taken the girls in there a few times to use the restroom on their way back from the main part of the city. She wondered if the clerk that always watched her as a hawk had seen some thing. She had visited a few other places like the pizza place Orion was a delivery boy for which was just up the street, but they hadn't seen him or the girls, but there was nothing else to do but to keep asking.

Buffy noticed that the clerk was the usual asshole that she suspected wanted more than just to look at girls like her. "Excuse me, I was in here a while back with some little girls, have you seen them or a boy a bit taller than me in here today maybe in the morning," Buffy asked.

The clerk studied her. His eyes wandering up and down her body making Buffy feel like she needed to wash before he said, "Yeah I saw them. I had the night shift and they came in here for a while, bought some things and left again. They headed down town. So did you get kicked out of your squat and need a new place to crash. I am sure I could find a warm spot for you."

"In your dreams," Buffy commented.

The man leered and said, "yes often." Buffy quickly left after that not acknowledging the clerk at all any more.

--

Buffy walked up to one of the dope fiends that lived in the back alleys near the main street. She had asked around but no one had seen any one or remembered it anyway. Buffy had learned however that some guy named Leif in this alley had been up pacing the streets of the neighborhood looking for his dog.

She spotted an thin elderly man sitting with a dog of very indeterminate race petting it possessively. "Excuse me are you Leif," Buffy asked having difficulty with the weird name.

"No," the man answered but his eyes shifted to the side and Buffy guessed he had lied.

"Listen, look at me, I am not the cops or anyone else for that matter. I just wanted to ask if you have seen a boy this big with black hair together with two young girls last night," she asked.

"No," the guy said again with out looking at her. Buffy frowned. She hadn't expected someone to lie like this.

She crouched down. "Why are you lying? What happened to them? Where did they go?" She asked.

The homeless man looked up at her. "I didn't see anything," he answered but he seemed unable to look directly into her eyes.

Buffy was angry and had become increasingly afraid something had happened to her friends as the day went on. She lost her patience and grabbed the homeless guy lifting him easily as her mutant power slipped from her control and her eyes started glowing. "What did you see!" She commanded.

The man fought to get free but when that failed he covered his face with his hands. "I am sorry. I don't want any trouble. I just saw them meet some gang bangers. The boy got into it with them over something. One of the girls did something and then chaos. There were guns so I ran. I didn't look," he babbled.

"Where?" Buffy practically roared her fear fueling her anger.

"Collins street, just after the next intersection that way," the man flailed with his right arm. Buffy dropped him and picked up her bag in a run ignoring that the other homeless people had hidden or were running away from her. She ran across the street and down the streets as fast as she could.

Buffy arrived at the place Leif had described and found something that immediately made her body go cold. There was blood on the pavement. Buffy swirled around and recognized a bag she had given to Dream herself lay in a pile next to a dumpster. She ran over and examined it. It was covered in blood. Buffy rose and gingerly looked into the dumpster. Inside it lay.

Orion's hair was the same as always and his eyes hadn't lost their brown color yet, but his face was pale and his body still. Buffy silently looked at his corpse trying not to cry, not to collapse. She wasn't aware that her eyes were spouting white fire. She turned and walked back out of the alley. She needed to find Singer and Dream. It was time to use full on Slayer methods it seemed, at least what habits and training remained with her. She looked up and down the street noticing a street crew selling drugs at the next intersection.

Going by instinct rather than any real plan Buffy fired her power into the ground and launched herself that way in a rocket boosted jump and leaving behind a small crater. She judged the distance correctly and landed in the middle to the mixed race group. "I want to know who shot that boy in the dumpster down there and I want to know right now," she said and kicked the biggest guy in the group without warning. They were all her age, but Buffy didn't care. Nor did she care about the boy she had just hammered several yards back into a wall. He had bounced off the wall and crumbled to the ground in a whimpering heap.

Several of the teenage boys ran, one headed for a black plastic bag, one headed away with his pockets full of something. Two however stood their ground. Each pulled out a sort of small machine gun. "You're dead ho," the first one of them said. Buffy fired off her power again letting it come from her hands aiming at his face.

The kid flew down the street and only skidded to a stop after a while. The kid coughed and lay there whimpering in pain too. Buffy heard several noises akin to angry buzzing and the bangs coming from a weapon behind her, but she didn't feel any damage. Quickly as not to waste a chance she turned towards the other guy, the last one remaining. He was shaking. Buffy was surrounded by white fire now she realized. It was like her insides were suddenly warm and it felt pleasant to let go. It was like a pressure, she hadn't been aware off, was being slightly relieved.

"The gang where is it?" Buffy asked.

"We're the only gang who use these blocks. Any one else would get theirs. L-like you will," the last kid blustered.

"You killed him," Buffy jumped forward. The gun fired wildly. But that was into the air as Buffy had grabbed hold of the kid's arm and forced it up. She pulled back a fist.

"I-I didn't. This kid that we had seen here before. The boy. That arrogant prick. He wouldn't pay our toll and then one of them. One of the mutant bitches with him did something. Lil Joe tried to shoot her. The boy got in the way. They dumped the body and took the girls," he said.

"They took them. Took them where?" Buffy asked practically growling.

"A warehouse at the old train station," the boy replied. Buffy didn't thank him for the help. Instead she tossed him into the building wall hard enough to leave a bloody smear where his nose had been smashed. She saw that he was still breathing then looked towards the distant train yards that they used to look down at from the back porch just before going inside every day these last months. Buffy decided to try and fly there. She fired off her powers and blew through the air the fiery cocoon around her protecting her as she flew across the sky like a white meteor.

She only needed to stay airborne for a few moments then she could see the huge abandoned buildings that Orion had sworn were full of squatters, drug dealers and worse. She flew low over the ground turned sharply upwards and cut off her power. She dropped to a kneeling position from four yards up and slowly rose. She surrounded her body with fire. Thinking about Orion in the dumpster the thought of his dead body and what could be happening to the girls just made it grow bigger. Buffy walked towards one of the warehouse's. The only one that seemed mostly intact. It had a lot of graffiti tags that reminded her of several she had seen just moments ago. She expected someone to have noticed her coming. She rounded the building and saw several expensive cars and two bikes parked next to a loading dock. Buffy walked along the loading docks and looked into the storage area through the single open door. Just inside out of the sun two young boys about her age stood holding more of the same types of guns from earlier. They both looked like they wanted to be mean and dangerous. Having fought and slaughtered demons Buffy considered them about as scary as boys playing at being men.

"Run! Now!" She yelled as she stepped inside. One fired his gun. Buffy flinched and forgot to react. For a moment she gasped in fear. The bullets had hammered into her fire but dropped to the ground harmlessly as soon as they hit it. Buffy looked at the two. "No second chances," she said and fired her power at them. It flung them through the width of the warehouse and blasted them into the walls with a ringing gong like noise. Buffy was figuring out that her power could either burn and exert force.

Buffy looked around, but saw nothing. No trace of those she wanted to find. Then she heard the yell, "Hey is something wrong up there." She looked around and saw that there were a ramp leading underground.

Buffy ran over and headed straight down the path. A guy was on his way up. She rammed into him and sent him back down. She stopped as she saw what she had found. This was probably some sort of temporary drug distribution place. There were boxes and tables with money, white powder and in the far corner some gathering of people that were yelling and egging someone on.

"Kick her mutant ass," one yelled. Buffy kicked the one she had just struck down in the throat before she turned and ran towards the distant group at the other end of the basement.

Buffy could see this was some sort of sick beatdown. Five guys with guns surrounded one large sweaty guy without a gun and a very badly beaten Dream. Buffy couldn't see Singer anywhere and that just made her feel even worse. She winced as another wet sounding punch that landed on Dream. They were beating on little kids.

"You fucking flatscans! Take on someone who can fight back," she said. The group turned and looked at her. Buffy knew from the glittering reflections across the walls that she was probably looking like she was engulfed in fire.

"Shoot it," one of the drug dealers yelled sounding a bit afraid. Another one immediately fired. Buffy noted with glee as the bullet dropped harmlessly to the ground. Still she was afraid that if she fired back someone might die or she'd hit an already hurt Dream. She really wasn't in control of her power most of the time. Orion had told her weeks ago that she had to learn it or it would get out of her control.

"I want you to surrender! Now!" She commanded. They replied by firing again. Three hunkered down behind some transport crates, while the other two stood in front of Dream. The guy that had beaten on Dream headed behind Dream's hanging form to grab something from behind a couple of boxes.

Buffy fired her power at the transport crates. She regretted then not having trained in her powers before. The crates exploded into tiny fragments and the incandescent rays she fired hit the people and the wall. There was a small explosion scattering concrete dust from the wall. She had no idea if there were survivors or not. There were several series of bullets that hammered into her fire from the right. She felt them. It was strange as the bullets landed on her fire, there seemed to be a pressure back against her, but the fire still kept the danger out. Buffy in her rage barely cared about herself.

She fired again. One ray from each hand. Buffy noticed that her rays sounded like dull thunderous roars as they passed through the air. Both of the gunmen flew back and hit the walls behind them bumping Dream on their way back. The last man, the one who had beaten Dream, walked out of his cover behind his victim. He had a gun to the head of Singer. The dear little girl was crying her eyes out and didn't even seem to recognize Buffy. Buffy meanwhile flashed back to Dream and looked at the huge guy. Singer wasn't exactly a good shield for him.

"I'll kill her if you..." Buffy didn't bother listen to the threat. She fired her beam straight into his face and ran forward. He flew back. But Buffy had held back and he only landed straight behind Singer looking dazed. Buffy interposed herself between the man and Singer, who had dropped and curled to a fetal position on the floor. He lifted his gun towards Dream. Buffy stomped her foot down on his hand as hard as she could. She heard snaps and cracks then the groan of metal bending but didn't relent. The man screamed and she still didn't care. Buffy used her position over his head to punch him hard in the jaw. He thumped against the concrete floor and lay still. She turned and looked at Dream. She had been cuffed and the cuffs suspended from a hook. Gently she took her down. She slipped Singer onto one arm and positioned Dream over the other and so looking ridiculously over burdened but easily lifting the weight she left the basement with them.

Buffy walked away from the building not staggering or pausing until she had found a reasonably safe corner. She put the pair down and turned around. She needed to get her friends into a hospital, which meant she needed a few things like money and a car. Buffy couldn't drive or rather she could, but not in a way that made other people on the road feel safe.

She headed back inside and took two of the shoe boxes of drug money then searched on of her victims none of which had gotten up yet or dared to move in her presence. She found a pair of car keys and went back out. Buffy stopped and looked at the building. Sooner or later the drug dealers would either be rescued or maybe recover on their own. She put the money in the car the keys worked on then faced the build. Concentrating really hard she fired off her power from her hands, she let go of her control, pushing her power out. The flash monstrous heat and thunderous explosion that followed was nothing compared to the effect. The air filled with dust and the noise of the single wall that had remained standing, collapsing out as the entire roof had disappeared. Small fires had started at the top of the falling walls and the air felt very hot. Buffy gaped in shock for a moment at the absolute carnage then in a run went to where she had put down the girls.

She managed to get the dust-covered and sobbing Singer and the now unconscious Dream into the car before she rapidly, haphazardly and with several engine misfires made the car move out of the old train yard at best speed. She was sure the police and fire department was coming as quick as they could.

Buffy looked at the huge dust plume rising to the sky behind her as she was more than a block away and said to herself, "Maybe I over did it a little."

--

Charles put down the helmet interface to Cerebro and activated his wheelchair. He considered the situation at the school, but decided it no longer mattered. Kurt and Logan were working out great with the students and Scott seemed to be getting back into shape too. Which was good because he was getting to be fairly certain that he would need them.

Charles searched through astral space and found the familiar thought pattern of Scott Summers. "Scott, I am sorry to disturb you during your class, but would you come to my office immediately," Charles sent to his second in command.

"Yes, professor," Scott replied.

Professor Xavier repeated the exercise but on Logan. He knew that Scott and Logan didn't like each other, but he felt that they needed to get past that and sending them out on a mission like he planned to do when he saw them was a possible first step. Besides he had urgent need.

--

Buffy was amazed by herself. She had made it to an emergency room. In a car. At least she hadn't killed any one in traffic nor was the police hot on her tail at the moment. She knew that there would be trouble. Social Services, police and the like, but she had to get Singer and Dream in there. Problem was that there was going to be questions. Questions to who she was. And the only thing she couldn't allow was for her to get identified as Buffy Summers. So she had to make up a name. Taking a deep breath to calm herself and hopefully keep her eyes from glowing Buffy ran inside.

She ran inside. Spotting a security guard and a couple of guarded looking nurses she decided to run up to the front desk. "Somebody please help. I have two girls in the car outside. They've been beaten. I saw some gang bangers beat them up. They look really bad," she blurted out half driven by her fear for the girls, the other was an act done half with calculation. She waited for a few moments before she ran out.

A few moments after she had reached the car. She turned and saw the security guy along with two male nurses come outside. The moment they saw Dream in the passenger seat, their attitude changed. "Ah crap, Randy, go fetch two gurneys," one of the nurses said.

"What about you kid?" the security guy asked. He was a young black guy, black hair, kind smile but with a weary look in his eyes and a Jamaican accent like she had only heard in the movies. She wondered for a moment what a guy like that was doing in Seattle of all places, then marveled at how easily her mind was distracted.

"I am fine, just a little... shook up," Buffy said.

"Why don't you come back inside. One of the doctor's should look you over," the security man offered.

"Miss, do you know these girls?" the nurse called Randy asked.

Buffy warred with herself. She knew she was supposed to say no and just walk away. But then with Orion gone the girls would have no one. She didn't want to be the one who ran away not after having been forced to leave her home as well. "Yeah, I know them. We live together. The guy who used to take care of them got shot this morning," Buffy explained trying to expand her lie.

"Randy, do you think you're gonna get their insurance info. Look at her. Look at the kids. They're homeless. Just help me get them inside," the other nurse said.

Buffy followed the girls inside where immediate she and the girls were led down some halls into a pediatric area of the emergency department.

"Stop here miss, let the doctors do their work," the security guy said. "Are you sure you don't want to go be checked out too?" he asked again.

"I'm fine. If I am bloody none of its mine," she replied staring off in the direction of the catatonic seeming Singer.

"Why don't you come back to the waiting area, you'll be able to see the girls later. Someone will swing by to ask you questions later. I am also going to call the police and social services," he said giving Buffy a look as if he expected her to bolt.

Buffy calmly looked at him and said, "That'll be fine, I wasn't expecting anything else." Buffy knew she was in a bit of trouble for now and again wished she had colored her hair or at least cut it.

She noticed they had hot drinks and went over to get some coffee. Having been on the street all night held left her thirsty and with a slight case of the sniffles. The security guy stayed out in the corridor only occasionally casting a glance in her direction.

--

"Listen, Scotty just get this bucket of bolts to Seattle and we'll be peachy. If you could do it without talking that would even better," Wolverine said glancing in occasional annoyance at his current partner in crime.

"I could live with that," Cyclops replied.

Wolverine nodded to himself as they exited the basket ball field and set off across the US the latest model of the Blackbird having even better stealth than the last. Logan really didn't care about their ride too much. Instead he worried about their mission. It was his first with the X-Men that didn't directly involve some major disaster in the offing. Although going off with Cyclops was bad enough the actual thing they were going to do was way outside anything he had expected to be doing. Sure he had expected some of demeaning task from time to time, like having to listen to one of the kids talk about their girlfriend problems. Now though he of all people was supposed to go and help recruit some kid for the school. The Professor and Cyclops had been vague when he had arrived, but still he had believed they had known him well enough to know that doing this was not something he was up for normally.

Wolverine really didn't want to break the agreed upon silence, but he had to ask, "so why doesn't Charley know more about whoever we're going after?"

"This mutant apparently has a very strong psionic power, which makes her easy to detect on Cerebro but seems to also lock the Professor out of her thoughts. All he could get was that it was a girl and that she was in some sort of danger or trouble. She has been in his thoughts for a while and so the professor decided it was time to offer her help and if she wants a place at the school," Cyclops replied.

"Without a name how do we find her?" Wolverine asked.

"The Blackbird has a short range mutant detector that only picks up the presence of a mutant if they are close and it is pre-programmed to his or her signature. This girl's signature is so strong we won't have any trouble finding her," Cyclops said.

Wolverine grunted and wondered what kind of girl they were going to look in on.


	5. Sundering Changes, part 5

Sundering Changes, part 5

Willow looked over her shoulder on a whim. Being a Sunnydale resident meant trusting your whims. This was one of those times. She saw two men standing outside the school grounds talking to each other. One of them was wearing sun glasses and was dressed like a surfer the other looked like he had just left the office wearing an impeccable suit, both were dark skinned and dark haired. The sun glasses guy was staring at her. She was sure even though he wore those glasses, she was just sure. She was headed to school and her class, Computer class with Miss Calendar and decided it couldn't hurt to be early. But then she rarely had any reason to linger in the halls now that neither Xander or Buffy were around.

Willow walked into her class and found that her teacher Jenny Calendar was standing near the door. Jenny nodded at Willow but when she walked past her teacher slipped a note into her hand. Willow glanced at it as she sat down in her regular spot. It read: "Federal agents got the Principal's permission to put software on the school systems to look for hackers. Be careful." Willow looked up and felt a chill run down her back.

She had not been idle since discovering Xander was still alive. Giles had found out too but the Librarian and Angel were up to their ears with keeping Kendra alive. Willow wondered why the usually so caring librarian was so disinterested in learning more about what was happening to Buffy and Xander. It wasn't how she had expected him to behave.

Even worse the new Slayer seemed gung-ho set on going after all the demons in the canalization of Sunnydale something that they all considered a fool's errand without military level equipment and according to Angel they'd possibly need a battalion of soldiers with flame throwers or maybe just enough explosive to blow away the entire city to even make a dent. And Kendra just wouldn't let Angel help her like he had helped Buffy at times, in fact according to Angel the only reason the Slayer hadn't tried to kill him yet was Giles' orders.

Willow had gone on with her illegal intrusions without telling anyone. Miss Calendar knew that she wasn't just browsing during computer classes or at home, but Willow hadn't done more than write a few of her hacking tools in class. She hadn't dared to use them from school, because she didn't want to get either Miss Calendar or Giles in trouble.

Willow had gotten files on Buffy last night from a shady American anti-terrorist outfit called SHIELD and she had dug up even more on the project that had run the prison Xander had fled. Even worse she had found out that people were actively keeping the truth about the imprisonment like the discovery of a mass grave out of the press and the press was playing along. She had found emails showing that the people covering stuff up was a part of the highest level of her government and the US military. This entire affair had really trampled all over her patriotism. But with people possibly watching her on her way to school and her teacher slipping her notes about surveillance on the school computer gear Willow was beginning to feel that maybe she had gotten in over her head. She wondered how Buffy had dealt with the responsibility and constant danger of being a Slayer without going crazy with nerves all the time.

----------

"Hello I am Miss Ronstadt, could we talk for a moment," a voice shook Buffy out of her reverie. She had been keeping an eye on Dream and Singer as the doctors and nurses worked around them. Buffy turned and looked at the young woman with her clipboard.

"Social services or hospital administration," Buffy asked.

"Social services. I take it you're not these two's mother or next of kin," Miss Ronstadt said.

"You'd be mostly right. I've been helping to take care of them for a few months. They're. . . We're homeless," Buffy explained.

"I guessed as much. Those girls match the description of a pair of missing girls from Portland, Oregon that the police is actively looking for. Something about them running away from a group home with a boy from Seattle," the woman said reading from the file on her clipboard.

"We never talk about the past. I don't know their real names so don't even ask," Buffy explained.

"And you? Do you have a place to stay, a family that misses you? I'd like to help you if I can. Living on the streets is not your only option. There are places you could go," Miss Ronstadt explained.

"I am Nemo and as such I have nothing and no place is my home," Buffy said using the little funny text Orion had come up with a while ago when they had been joking about her temporary name.

The woman studied Buffy. "Eventually you will have to tell me your name," she said.

"I just did. Listen, I am not here really. I just want to keep those two safe. Never mind about me," Buffy suggested, but she could see from the woman's expressions that neither thing would happen.

----------

"Sir, there is a call for you from Seattle," Celia said and Paul looked up in surprise. He hadn't hoped for any of the people still active in the hunt in Seattle to report back any thing useful.

He picked up the phone and said, "Speak."

"I just got word from one of the people working with Social services up here. Buffy Summers has been spotted at a Hospital here. Orders?" the voice of one of his field coordinators spoke.

Paul smiled viciously. "Get all the best people you can find together. Then pick up little Miss Summers alive if possible, but dead is fine by me."

"As you command," the voice at the other end replied.

Paul considered if he should cancel the impending kidnapping of Willow Rosenberg but decided against it. Buffy Summers had been slippery so far. If she got away again he wanted to be able to catch her anyway.

----------

Logan looked out over the destroyed building and debris field that had been an abandoned train yard. "Nice work, this. Complete and utter destruction," he said. Actually the place was really annoying him. The dust and shattered drugs in the air was playing havoc with his sense of smell.

"You would think that. Listen other people are going to get interested in this right now. We need to find the girl as fast as possible," Scott said and looked at the pocket computer thing he had brought from the Blackbird.

"Then you find her, there are too many scent trails here for me to know which one to follow," Logan said and paused as two firemen walked past the plastic ribbon the police had put up to mark how close any gawkers could come.

"She's north of here. I think we should grab a cab or something like that," Scott suggested.

"Even a cabbie will get suspicious if you direct him from that thing," Logan said and looked around. A guy was getting a ride in an ambulance his wounds spread the smell of his blood in the air. Logan studied the amount of parked regular cars in the area and smiled.

"Come on I'll get us a ride," Logan said and grabbed hold of Scott's jacket. The tall thin X-man brushed off his grip but followed along. Logan meanwhile sniffed the air. He hoped they find one of the victims cars. Given they were covered in the remains of the drugs they sold Logan was sure he could convince the boyscout behind him to let him steal a car.

Logan picked a random one down an alley. It smelled faintly of cocaine and that was enough for him for now. "This is one of the dealer's cars, how about we borrow it off them. It doesn't look like they'll miss it," Logan said and looked at Cyclops. The brown haired man nodded and Logan in one smooth move sprang a single claw from his right hand and hammered it into the lock then turned the door open. Using skills he didn't remember how he had gotten Logan hotwired the engine in a few moments and calmly put on the seat belt. He had promised Rogue he would do that from now on.

For a while they drove in silence interrupted only by Cyclops guiding them clumsily through the city until they arrived at a Hospital. "In here," Cyclops said and indicated the dot on the screen of the small scanner.

"Right, let's get this over with," Logan said and got out. He waded inside with Cyclops following behind him. Logan realized he had no idea where to go once inside, so when he stopped Cyclops just continued past him and headed down a corridor heading towards pediatrics according to the signs.

"Are we recruiting a kid?" Logan asked not really wanting to meet a kid feeling as irritated as he did, especially a kid that had leveled a building earlier.

"The Professor said that he thought she was older, a teenager," Cyclops replied.

He stopped at the door to the treatment rooms and swept the device around. Logan noticed a woman leaving the waiting room. She walked by him carrying with her a waft of a scent, fresh and new, a scent he had caught a few times near the destroyed warehouse. "It's her on right," Logan said and nodded towards the figure in the darkened room. She stood watching the doctor's work, her figure hidden by the shadows.

"Yeah," Cyclops said after checking one last time on the scanner then turning it off.

"Let's go see who she is," Logan said and led the way inside.

The girl turned as they entered studying them intently, she had turned looking ready to dismiss them but her words seemed to die on her lips and instead she frowned. Logan studied the girl. She looked barely sixteen and was tiny even for her age. She looked like a fragile thin thing dressed like most homeless kids for warmth rather than style. But it was also something about her that didn't match her style and situation. It was the posture, the glimpse of white teeth and the practically perfect skin of her face. It was like she was a well-off kid in disguise. At least Logan thought so until he looked into her eyes and the part of him that was all instincts told him that this girl was all about deception, a study in almost subconscious acting with only the eyes revealing what was beneath. Because her eyes told a third story, a story of pain, death and a weariness of life Logan couldn't remember seeing in the eyes of anyone that young not even the most persecuted of Xavier's students. Those were the eyes of a fighter hurt but unbent by a hard life. Instantly he felt a sympathy for the girl that he rarely shared with anyone at Xavier's school except maybe Rogue.

"You don't look like police, but you want something," the girl said and Logan noticed her stance and hand positions changed. She was trained. Trained in combat, maybe not martial arts, but in being ready, trained in dealing with the sudden on-set of violence.

"Can't fool any one these days, listen we just want to say a few words. Then it'll be up to you to decide if you want to hear more." Scott said.

The girl studied them. "No that's not how it goes. You're going to tell me, who you are and then you can speachify," the girl said. Her voice had the accent of an upper crust Californian mall rat. Logan was thrown by the words but he just kept focus on the eyes. They were unchanged and told him the truth.

"Tell her," Logan suggested. He had the feeling that the girl had a trained bullshit meter.

Logan guessed that Scott looked at him for a moment from the reflections in the room, but he kept his focus on the girl. Suddenly he realized he wasn't unhappy he had come any more. The girl was at least interesting.

"We're from a private school on the East Coast. A private school where people like you can live freely and learn. Both regular school things and their powers. It's a school for mutants, run by mutants. Run by us," Scott explained.

The girl studied them. She frowned. "Why are you here? How did you find me?" she asked.

"We have some equipment that allows us to detect mutants. Especially strong ones like you. Listen I can see you're not living at home. Life on the streets, on the run might feel safer than being home, but with us you'd have a good place to sleep every night, you'd be safe from persecution and you'd live with people who were like you. We're offering you that. A safe place to study at our school, be educated and go on to live a full life with a good diploma in your pocket," Scott did the pitch.

The girl just scoffed. Logan had expected as much. People who were used to fighting for stuff, didn't like or trust anything offered for free. He knew the offer was genuine but he hadn't believed it either at first. Sure Xavier had a second purpose in training the kids in their powers, but joining the X-Men was voluntary. And really to Logan the combat training was just a logical way of preparing for life in general.

The girl tossed some of her long hair out of her eyes. "And in return you want what? Money, my name, my parent's phone number? And how am I to know you're not some group of nuts? Part of some weird cult, or bent on world domination. Listen I am in enough trouble as it is and even if you could reassure me, I am responsible for those two as well," the girl said and nodded towards the room she had been watching. Logan turned and looked at the two tiny figures that were the center of all the attention in the room at that moment.

"We would gladly take them too," Scott said. Logan looked at the X-man in surprise. He hadn't known they had come for anyone other than the girl.

"We can help you. Shelter all of you. They'd be safe off the street and living with adult supervision. You'd all be able to move around without looking over your shoulder for the police or social services," Scott offered.

The girl fixed her stare on Logan. "Prove it. I want you to give me some sort of proof that I can trust you. And I want to know the small print too," she said.

Scott nodded, "We can arrange every thing so that you can get away clean from here but you have to tell us certain things so that we can trust you too. Two-way street here."

"If you can tell me stuff that I can get verified off the Internet or something like that without you guys leaving my sight the entire time so you can't trick me I might be willing to come with you for starters. Oh and I need to see your IDs. I know they can be faked but my guess is that you didn't come prepared. You don't look it at least," the girl said.

"Okay. The School is called Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The Headmaster is Charles Xavier. My name is Scott Summers. I teach there and that is Logan. No last name," Scott said.

The girl lifted a thin eyebrow at him and commented, "Aren't we special. He's a teacher too."

Logan gave her a glare in response, while Scott nodded.

"Fine, now I just need to find a way to check you out," the girl turned towards a computer idling in screensaver mode in the back corner. She went over and spent some time, apparently not that good with computers as most of the kids at their school, but as Logan knew he wasn't any better he refrained from saying anything. It took some time as the girl hunted and pecked at the keyboard, sighed, read and then started the cycle over again. The browser, the only program functional on the PC, showed the School website, their academic evaluation reports and then stuff on Scott and the Professor from other websites.

"It says you're who you say you are. You might still be nutcases, but... I guess I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. You seem like... you're serious. If you can get the girls out of here with me when they're okay, we're coming with you," the girl said and sounded almost relieved.

"First we need to go the other way down the road. What's your name?" Scott asked.

"My name is Buffy. Let's just try the no last name route for now?" the Girl, Buffy, said. Logan knew she hadn't been kidding when she had told her name. That was her real first name.

Scott didn't have the benefit of his senses, "Fine, we can live with that for now I guess. I hope you'll..." Logan put an arm on Scott's arm stopping him while shaking his head. Logan hadn't stopped Scott out of the good of his heart. Cyclops could put his foot as far into his mouth as he wanted, but the girl didn't need to be ridiculed for the mistakes of her parents.

"We need to set things up to get those girls out of here when they're okay, but you need to leave for now," Scott suggested.

"I can't abandon them. The deal was for the three of us together," Buffy protested.

"I understand, but you'll have to go ahead. If the police arrest you or the social services people come and drag you away what ever happens then won't ensure that you can be there to help them afterwards and it would make our job harder. We've done stuff like this before. You and Logan disappear from here. Go stay at a motel until everything is ready. I'll set things up at home and start the preparations for the girls as well. We can't move them now, but if you stay here sooner or later there will be trouble. I am guessing you want to stay long enough to tell them the plan," Scott said.

Logan could see that the girl wasn't at all happy about the circumstances, but it seemed she liked the plan. He wondered how she was holding up given the apparently already intense day she had so far. "I have be the one to tell them," Buffy said.

"Okay, when they move them to some sort of room Logan will sneak you back inside. Then after that you leave with us. We'll come back for the girls later. And if I break my promise you can just leave the school. I won't break it though," Scott promised. Even without being able to see Scott's eyes it seemed the girl trusted his words.

"We should go," Logan said after hearing someone walking past the room behind him and pausing. The blond girl nodded and left Scott on little girl-watch.

They quickly made their way towards the lobby where one of the security guys started talking into his walkie-talkie when he saw the girl, who seemed to have noticed as well as she picked up speed. They made it to the regular door when a white young security guard stepped up and opened his mouth. Logan solved the immediate problem by punching the guy in the throat and pushing him back. The girl seemed less than shocked and immediately headed outside into the parking lot at a run. Logan ran after, "It's that car." He pointed towards their borrowed vehicle and jumped into the driver's seat. The girl elegantly slid herself across the hood and quickly got in on the passenger side.

Soon they were out on the streets of Seattle, driving slowly around. "So you got any money," the girl asked.

"Why?" Logan asked.

"I'm hungry," she said.

"What makes you think I am buying," he asked in a gruffer tone of voice than he had wanted originally.

The girl looked down at herself, "Because I sure ain't."

----------

Willow wandered past one of Sunnydale's numerous graveyards heading for Giles' new house. She wanted to go and talk to Giles. He could give some sort of advice. Federal agents were checking into things at the school and she had spotted the two guys who she had seen this morning sitting in a car looking at her from a far during lunch.

Willow had left school after only one more class. She had gotten out through the back exit through the Library stacks and across the parking lot skipping the rest of her classes just to make sure she shook them off. Willow wondered if she could call Angel and ask him to help when he got up in a few hours.

She walked past a pretty blond guy who was sitting on a bench reading a paperback seemingly enjoying the sun. Willow at first paid him no mind until she realized she had seen him several times both yesterday and today. He had been the pizza delivery boy at the door when her dad was paying. He had been the new janitor too. Immediately she started running.

Her legs pumped wildly below her. Using her Scooby run-away training as Xander had called it, she quickly put distance between her and the blond guy. She glanced over her shoulder, but he was still sitting on the bench seemingly uncaring that she was running.

There was a screech of tires. A beaten up looking van and two cars skidded to a stop. The van nearly in front of her, one of the cars behind her, the other in front of the nearest alley. Loads of Hispanic looking men jumped out of the cars. They had guns.

"On the ground now!" A bearded man who had jumped out of van yelled.

Willow considered her options and decided that she'd have to dodge bullets and the only semi-okay cover was a row of parked cars leading down the road to the left. But she also found that staring down the barrel of a large bore gun made Rosenberg's freeze against their will. Fear had won out for the moment.

There was whistling noise and there was two load bangs behind her. A hot blast of air passed over her. Willow whirled around. The car was smoldering the entire engine was obliterated and the car was sagging on its left back side too where another plume of smoke was rising.

A hairy and tattooed arm grabbed her from behind. It reached around her waist and Willow was drawn against the man from the van. She could feel his beard against her neck.

Willow did as was natural to her, she screamed for help and started hammering against the hand, while kicking her heels back against what she hoped were painful places.

Someone else said something in Spanish. There was another whistling noise and the other car aside from the van sprouted a crater. Another explosion followed up and she was thrown down on top of the bearded man.

There was a roaring sound and three guys in blue tight clothing, high tech armor and what to Willow's amazed eyes looked like jetpacks landed on the street.

"Federal agents, drop your weapons or we will use deadly force," the lead guy, the blond guy from the bench, yelled.

A series of bullets were fired from somewhere to Willow's left. One of the agents jumped into cover, but the other two just stayed where they were their clothes apparently protecting them or maybe they were just that foolhardy. She tired to pry the bearded man's arm off, but he clamped down and yelled something back at the high tech agents. "You back away now or this chica dies here and now," he yelled.

The blond guy grimaced. Some sort of device folded out over his eye from his backpack. He fired his gun. There was a loud noise somewhere over Willow's head. The arm grew limp. Willow freed herself and decided to crawl towards the nearby parked row of cars to use as cover.

There were several more loud shots from the federal agents and the Hispanic guys then there was a single shot that rang out and everything fell silent. Willow just stayed behind the car she had reached and wondered if she could make it over the fence into the graveyard and then run as fast as she could to Giles' house without the federal agents catching her.

There was a scrape and Willow's head jerked up coming face to face with the blond man in his very tight blue clothes. "Miss Rosenberg, if you'd please come with us. We're taking you somewhere safe. Your parents will be brought there too," he said.

"Who are you?" Willow asked trying to keep her voice steady.

"Quartermain, you can call me Allan though. We're from SHIELD," he said and offered her his hand. She took it and he pulled her up to stand.

"Are you afraid of heights?" he asked.

"No," Willow said too late realizing what he planned to do.

Soon they shot into the air his jetpack carrying them away from the other two agents and the massive scene of carnage.

----------

Celia was trying to think of a good way to tell her boss that their latest scheme had failed. A few hours ago Willow Rosenberg had gotten herself picked up by SHIELD just when their guys had been about to strike. It had not been her or her boss' mistake but with no clue to the other persons in Buffy Summers life who could possibly track her and no other hits on electronic surveillance either their investigation was dead in the water. Which meant that the bosses above her boss might just turn the matter over to HYDRA possibly along with her boss and maybe her as an apology. Celia didn't particular fancy getting killed by fascistic superterrorists left behind by the Second World War but she might not get a say either. She took a final deep breath and entered her boss' office. She was surprised by his happy look. His face fell slightly as she entered.

"What has happened?" he asked.

"Sir, the kidnappers failed. SHIELD were waiting for us. I believe we have to consider that we must have double agents in our ranks just like we have tendrils into their offices," Celia said.

"Damn... Okay this situation isn't a complete failure just yet. One of the leftover people in Seattle has finally gotten a solid lead on Miss Summers. She ought to be captured or dead within a few hours," her boss said.

Celia hoped so, but something told her with this case they just weren't going to be able to rely on luck. She just hoped the people they had left in Seattle were good enough to handle a girl, who had survived an explosion that had evaporated a squad of armored agents and an entire building.

----------

Agent Quartermain put Willow down which had taught her several things. For one thing she was not afraid of heights even when using the disturbing methods of flight used by SHIELD. The second thing was that in certain cases girls her age could get quite attracted to someone as hunky as Allan without even knowing him. She knew it was probably hormones but at the moment she really didn't mind.

The agent had flown her straight across Sunnydale to a farm outside the city limits. A couple of trucks were parked inside a large barn. A small satellite communications dish stood just inside the open doors along with another blue clad very athletic guy.

"Good job Agent Quartermain," a gruff voice said and a tall muscular and bald black man stepped out of the shadows. Willow noticed his dark eyepatch but refrained from making the pirate comment that hovered on her lips for a moment.

Quartermain snapped off a salute and said, "Thank you General."

"Hello Miss Rosenberg," the black man looked towards her. "We need to talk."

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Oh, I half-expected you to know given that you've been sniffing around the Pentagon computer systems for a while now. My name is Nick Fury. General Nick Fury and I am the man in charge of SHIELD. Now back to you Miss Rosenberg, it seems you and your apparently dead or maybe not so dead friend Buffy Summers have caught the attention of both AIM and HYDRA. Now so far AIM has had you under electronic surveillance since your friend disappeared apparently evaporated in a large high energy explosion of unknown origin. They have agents looking for her like she's still alive and they believe you know something about what is going on or maybe that you can coax your friend back into existence," he said as he led the way into the back of one of the trucks where a lot of screens were displaying video data from Sunnydale most of it from high above.

"I just wanted to find out who took Xander and tortured him Mister Fury. Are you one of those people? Someone who condones torture because they actually think it serves some purpose?" Willow countered using her fear to give her the appearance of being angry.

"I am not. Yes, I have allowed forceful interrogations before and will again, but little girl what happened to your other friend was entirely racially motivated. The government has many differing ideas through out its infrastructure on how to deal with mutants. After an incident in New York a while back some of the racists got enough power to use the anti- terrorist laws to incarcerate and experiment on mutants like they were cattle. It was hidden by the Department of Mutant Affairs and the henchmen of that departments leader. After this latest revelation I can assure you the President has ordered the stop of all this sort of activities. If it had been generally known do you really think the American public would have accepted that happening to American citizens Mutants or not," General Fury explained.

"I am not so sure," Willow replied and sat across from the General at a metal table in a closed room. She looked around.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"Well, it seems that AIM is very interested in you. I know why so all I want to know is if you know where I could find Buffy Summers?" he asked.

Willow shook her head. "I am not sure, I just know she's alive. One of her friends tracked her down to Seattle but that was months ago." Willow decided she could tell that much. This guy had gone out of his way to save her life and he seemed all kinds of reasonable. Willow suddenly realized that she in fact had no way of being certain this guy was who he claimed he was. She wondered about it, but figured there was a reasonable chance he was telling the truth, still she would later find a way to check out if a General Fury looking like this guy really ran SHIELD.

"There is also the matter of you having read secure briefs and other material that are considered national secrets. Under the regular rules I would have to have you arrested and imprisoned. The sentence would be up to twenty year," General Fury said.

"Eep," Willow gasped.

"I am not going to, however we're going to have to require you to aid us in improving our computer security to make it proof against the intrusion methods you used as well as having to debrief you on what you know. There may be trouble from this down the road too," The General told her with a foreboding look with his single good eye.

"I know it will be okay in the end. Come to think of it. Could your friend track her down again?" General Fury asked.

"Probably, we'd have to ask him," Willow admitted.

"Let's do that then," Fury said.

A while later as the sun was setting Willow was sitting in a car heading back into Sunnydale. Both the general and three agents including Allan was going along with her. They were going to Giles' place.

Willow rang the bell and a while later Jenny opened the door which either meant that a new problem had arisen or Giles and Kendra were out leaving Miss Calendar to hold the fort. The black haired techno-pagan looked almost startled at the guests Willow had brought. Wordlessly Jenny stepped aside allowing Willow and her guests inside.

They walked in while Willow asked. "Is Giles or Angel here?"

"Giles is out, but Angel has just arrived a few minutes ago. He's up in the library," Jenny said and gave Willow's entourage once over then cast a questioning glance at Willow.

"They're here to see if we can't repeat our trick to track down Buffy," Willow said. Miss Calendar looked spooked for a short moment then her face grew set in a way Willow felt was a bit worrying.

They walked up to the big room that doubled as both library and training center for the Slayer. Weapons were displayed on the walls and a sandbag hung from the ceiling next to a large round table. The general looked around but didn't say anything. Jenny slipped out behind them, leaving Willow wondering why.

Angel turned and looked surprised for a moment at the presence of their guests. There were several books on the table in front of him. Books that could only mean that something evil was brewing as usual for their dark little town.

"Who is this then?" Angel asked.

"Ah, let me introduce General Nick Fury and his bodyguards. General this is Angel, the friend I talked about earlier," Willow said.

General Fury stepped forward studying Angel before the bald man said, "I wanted to ask if you could help us find Buffy Summers again. We know she is alive from your phone calls and that she is being hunted by terrorist organizations and we believe we can offer her enough credible protection that she could return home soon. But we'd need to meet with her and debrief her on what she appears to have learned about our enemies."

Angel looked frustrated for a moment. Willow could tell something was wrong when the vampire explained, "I am afraid I can't help you. I knew where Buffy was a while back thanks to a contact we got through to her on the computer. Since then she will have moved around a lot and I have no chance of refinding her without another clue like that. I was luck I found her the last time."

General Fury glowered at Angel for a moment then turned towards Willow. "I think this was a waste of time," Fury said and turned towards Angel again and said, "Do you happen to be willing to tell us the last place you saw her?"

Angel seemed to mull that over longer than Willow had expected reconfirming to her that something more was going on. "Sure," Angel finally said and explained where to find Buffy in Seattle.

"I guess that's it. Now Miss Rosenberg is in immediate danger as is her family. Now she has told us on the way over that unlike her you would not be interested in going into protective custody and neither would the owner of this building," General Fury said.

"I can't only speak for myself and I don't want or need any protection General Fury," Angel said.

"Neither do we," Giles' calm voice carried easily through the room. He was standing with Kendra at the door looking calm but intense.

"Mr. Giles I presume. I was told to convey the best wishes from Henry at Vauxhall Cross," General Fury said.

"Thank him for me if you speak to him before I do," Giles replied.

"I guess that concludes our business here," General Fury said.

"Can I talk to my friends for a moment?" Willow asked.

"Remember we have an appointment with your parents in 30 minutes," Allan reminded her.

Willow nodded and watched as Kendra silently led the quartet out of the room.

"What is happening?" Giles asked.

"The General wants me to go into protective custody with my parents for a little while at least until I am safe," Willow said.

"Safe from what?" Giles asked.

"Terrorists," Willow admitted in a low voice.

"Why would terrorists be after you?" Giles asked.

"Because they think I know where Buffy is and because I kind of know a lot of top secret things," Willow said.

Giles took off his glasses and polished them for a moment. "How do you know top secret things all of a sudden?" he asked.

"I kind of hacked the Pentagon a few times to find out what they knew about Xander and Buffy," Willow said and felt almost like she was back in kindergarten and had done something really bad and now had to explain it to the principal.

"Kind of hacked... Oh Willow. This will have repercussions beyond what you knew about Buffy," Giles said.

Willow nodded. She hadn't realized it at the time, but she did know and remember a lot of secret stuff that she wasn't supposed to. She hadn't really cared at the time and now it could have an effect on her entire life down the road.

"I have to go," she said.

"You'll be back soon," Giles said but the hug he gave her made Willow feel almost as if he was saying goodbye. Angel and Jenny gave her a hug goodbye as well then she walked down the stairs and out to the car. An agent waiting for her at the door sill.

----------

Giles had watched the government agents leave with Willow earlier. He had seen the gruesome battle from afar earlier in the day ready with a few mystical surprised if the Powers had been proven wrong in their latest prophecy. Now he sat in his new house. A large and almost garish place on Crawford Street he had been told to buy for Council money. It now housed him, the entire occult book collection he used, a computer for Jenny, who insisted on helping him and the rooms of his new Slayer. He had of course told neither Jenny, Kendra or even Angel what had been his secret for months now. He took a deep swallow of the American bourbon he was inflicting on himself. He wanted to be drunk and that usually did the trick.

For months now he had known. He had been contacted by a Seer from Los Angeles one day. A Seer that had been more or less the mouthpiece of the Powers that Be and they had started giving him his massive burden, a mountain of guilt, guilt that came from knowledge. They had revealed that Buffy was indeed not the Slayer anymore something while almost unprecedented had happened once or twice by accident before. That not some information by the Council had prompted his last visit to Buffy's home. However the loss of his first Slayer was not to be his burden. They had told him what would be the destiny of his charges not just Buffy, but Xander and Willow too. They were to leave Sunnydale soon. Their lives was heading in different directions than his and it was his task to make sure that their new paths weren't derailed by the world of magic and demons that remained his destiny.

He had been told of the torture Xander was suffering at home and that it would lead him on the path of the Soldier as he was meant to be. Xander was destined to leave Sunnydale, however that would only be ensured if Giles made sure no magical resources or for that matter demonic or Slayer help was sent to bring him home when he was going to be believed dead. Giles had balked at that, but the Powers had been unrelenting. They had told him that if Giles wouldn't relent and follow their plan Xander would die in combat or be consumed with demonic energies within the year. So he had agreed, but secretly he had decided not to aid in anything that would further the wrong headed plans of the Powers.

Then Buffy had disappeared in LA, he had gone to the Seer again just to find if the Powers had indeed struck again. That time they told him that Buffy would not return from her trip to LA but go far away and there she would be able to step further on her path of heroism. There was no other recourse for her. She was meant to be a Hero and if she wasn't a Slayer her destiny would come to fruition in some other way. And worst they told him, it would be without him. He had felt sad at the loss of the one of his charges he was closest to. So when Willow and Jenny had found Buffy alive in Seattle, but Angel had returned telling them that Buffy had to stay away, he had still agreed with the vampire. And he had kept telling himself and Willow that there was no need to follow or track his former Slayer any more. He had played at being indifferent and it had hurt.

It had only grown harder when he had learned the truth of what had been happening to Xander. He had considered breaking his bonds with the Powers and use his own magic or Jenny's to find and bring back both Xander and Buffy right then and there. But the Powers had forestalled him again, this time through Angel who told him that the Powers couldn't be defeated without allying yourself with something like the First, when Giles had aired his question one late night.

Giles wouldn't betray what he or those, whom the Powers were stealing from him, had fought so hard for. Still in anger he had demanded an answer from the Powers using magic to come before the Oracles, who had accepted his request and shown him the three paths that lay before not only Xander and Buffy but also Willow. He saw where they were, what they could soon be and who they would most likely end up as and he saw what taking them off their paths would do not only to them but the entire world. But the Powers were cruel punishing him for his presumption to question them, they also showed him some of the pain, some the suffering his friends would see, cause and go through. Only then they had sent him home.

He had known about Willow and the day she would have today. He knew where Buffy would go soon and about Xander and the killings. He had some foreknowledge of what would happen in the next months, less as time would pass for his friends and he hated even the little he knew. "I am so sorry," he said speaking in his mind of his charges. Because Giles also knew he had to let them go and while it tore at his heart to have to, he would not do anything that endangered the world even for those three. He wanted to curse the Powers and after a few more glasses like the last he probably would do so soon, and that would be both loudly and drunkenly.

----------

Buffy felt weirdly at home with the scruffy black haired older Logan as they sat and silently ate. They had been together in Seattle for over a day already, staying at a motel in separate rooms with barely a glimpse of the other guy Scott in the morning. It seemed Logan preferred the silence and as the shocks of her day yesterday were increasingly something at the forefront of her mind, she found she at least momentarily liked the silence as well or at least that had been the case for a while now. She was finishing a slice of cherry pie with a dollop of ice cream while Logan was drinking his black coffee while looking around. It had been their third diner visit in two days. Buffy was loving the amount of dessert she could score, not having had that regularly in a while.

Logan reminded Buffy of herself when she had hunted vampires she realized as she sat there eating. The man was keeping up an almost total awareness of everything and everyone around them. Buffy had no idea what the man was afraid would happen but she felt like he trusted her. Instincts ingrained into her even after the actual Slayer power had left her told her that he wasn't watching her as if he was certain she was at least marginally safe. Buffy felt good that someone trusted her like that. Still she couldn't keep up the silence any more. She needed to speak or she'd start wallowing about all the crap in her life.

"So your mutant powers what are they?" Buffy asked in a low enough tone as not to attract attention.

"Did you ask because Is it important to you or just because you were getting antsy?" Logan replied.

Buffy looked at the man his intense eyes focused on her as well. "I guess I was getting antsy," she replied.

"Let's call Scott and see if he's got news for you today," Logan said and pulled out his cell phone. Buffy didn't miss that he had completely ignored her question but let it pass.

"It's me. Yeah, so the kids what is happening to them?" the gruff man with hint of an accent said. Buffy leaned forward curious to hear what was going on.

"Okay, I'll tell her. Bye," Logan shut off the phone and looked at her.

"They've been moved to the pediatrics ward. They're not in any danger of dying, but they've got to stay in the hospital for a while at least another few weeks or more. You can sneak in and see that one kid who is better than her sister later, but then we should get you out of town. The police have some witnesses to you doing your thing in several places downtown. Scott saw the police asking questions and they had a pretty good sketch of you, good enough to have the nurses and security people recognize you," Logan said.

Buffy nodded. It seemed along her luck at not getting recognized had left along with her Slayer powers. "Then how do we get in there. I am pretty nimble when I have to be, but you seem a little heavy in your moves," Buffy said.

Somehow that made the hunched over gruff man smile ferally and Buffy recognized something more of herself in him. He liked challenges and could probably be a smartass himself. "You just try and keep up, kid," Logan answered.

----------

Xander felt a strange freedom as he walked through the bustling night time of Istanbul. He was feeling better than he had in a long time. He was dressed in expensive clothes wearing designer sunglasses and was actually in another country. Xander sent a thought to Willow but Eric had asked him not to call her for a while as the government was sure to keep an eye on his friends and remaining relatives. He was amazed by the vibrant culture around him. Life in Sunnydale sure hadn't prepared him for the thought that so much of the world was so different from everyone he knew. But that was what his life was all about now. Tolerating differences if not in the Homo Sapiens surrounding him then in himself and his fellow mutants. He was still unsure about that one and that annoyed him. After all he had seen and all that had been done to him, he still couldn't even imagine how he'd ever be able to hate Buffy, Giles or even more unlikely Willow. They had never hurt him.

Mystique wearing the guise of a very beautiful black haired woman gave him a look. "Focus," she whispered. Xander nodded quietly as they walked through a iron gate through a small corridor. They passed two massive men in ill fitting suits that made Xander think of a James Bond movie. The guards went back down the corridor probably to close and guard the door.

"Welcome," a huge bald and exceedingly fat man said. "How are you liking Istanbul Mystique?"

"It is better than Cairo, Amahl," Mystique replied. This guy was apparently some sort of financial supporter of Magneto and according to Mystique's comments at the hotel this morning he was a very sleazy crime lord as well.

"I agree, less hot and more money to be made as well. I see you've brought a new young man along with you. So has the young hot head you brought the last time left the glorious cause like he left the way of his accursed former mentor or is it just because you hope this little boy will impress on me that your master is again gathering force my dear," Amahl wiped his sweaty fat chin and gestured towards two chairs in front of the tiny white table he towered behind.

"Triage is here so that if something happens to me or certain other people we'll still be able to keep in touch with you personally nothing more nothing less," Mystique argued.

"And we'll keep to that story won't we my dear," Amahl's voice echoed in Xander's head as it probably did in Mystique. While they had warned him Amahl was one of the world's few telepaths and at the same time an unscrupulous bastard nothing had really prepared Xander for the actual experience of having his mind visited by something from outside. It was a deeply disturbing thing like something cold and shadowy slithering through his mind.

"And we're not here for parlor tricks either. Listen I am here to ask for more money for the cause. We need to deal the US government some hard blows and soon, so naturally we come to you first," Mystique said.

Amahl studied them. "How much does Magneto want this time?" he asked.

"As much as you can spare. We're in a constant need to move, to buy silence and to hide," Mystique explained.

"I know. Fine, I am willing to part with many millions of good clean dollars and euros. Untraceable and clean for your use. However I want something in return. I am as loyal to our race as the next higher being, but this time there must be a price," Amahl said.

"What then?" Mystique asked.

"There is an Albanian mob that is threatening my Eastern European operations. They're basing themselves in parts of former Yugoslavia and where ever else they can operate with impunity. I have certainty that their leaders are meeting in Tirana at a certain secure hotel this week. If you could convince them to part with their lives I would be much obliged to you and your master," Amahl said.

Xander wanted to protest. Their cause was about the higher purpose he wanted to say, but he knew that they really needed the money and as the Toad would argue, how would the world be worse off without a bunch of mobsters. Mystique glanced his way, but after a look on his face she only smiled and turned back to Amahl. "That's a deal. Me and my friend here will deal with it before we leave Europe again," Mystique promised.

"I trust in that. And Mystique do try and enjoy the splendor of the jungle, while you're hiding there," Amahl said trying to taunt them with his knowledge of their many South American hideouts.

"I'll try," Mystique replied sounding unfazed as she got up.

----------

Buffy realized she was looking like an idiot with her mouth open.

A moment earlier Logan, who had almost soundlessly led her around the hospital building to a low overhang, had jumped up onto the roof from a relaxed stance. She would have had a hard time completing that jump as a Slayer from standing. "Coming," Logan asked and offered a hand.

Buffy closed her mouth, reached up and was thankful that while she was not as nimble or fast as when she was a Slayer she was at least much stronger than humanly possible even without surrounding herself with fire although with how little she knew of her power she wasn't certain the flames would in any way make her stronger. With ease she pulled herself up the heavy Logan acting as a steadfast anchor.

"So now what," Buffy whispered.

Logan smirked and led her over to a window on which he tapped once. Scott appeared in his dark red reflective glasses a bad fashion statement even in the 80s in Buffy's opinion. The serious man opened the door without much of an expression and stepped out of the way.

"Lead the way stretch," Logan suggested.

"Sure," Scott said and led the way.

They walked upstairs using the fire escapes and slipped onto the pediatrics floor. There was a lot of regular foot traffic but still Buffy was sure there was no way their motley trio could slip into a room unnoticed. "Stay here. Singer won't know you and I think I have a better chance of getting there alone," Buffy suggested after spotting a cheery looking girl about her age. She winced for a second at the thought of what she had to do, but decided it was for the better.

"Okay, but how are you going to get there? You're not much better off alone here kid," Logan suggested.

"Trust me, its a girl thing," Buffy said and strode in the direction of the happy looking girl.

Buffy smiled at her widest and turned up the California girl that she had found in her time was the Slayer was increasingly slipping away from her. Still she hoped she could be distracting enough to explain away her looks. She was clean enough but her clothes were rumpled and might even smell a little.

"Oh, my gosh, you look like the perfect one to help me," Buffy rapidly said.

"What? Sure I am here to help," the candy striper replied.

"You're like an angel. I am like totally busted. I had an accident on the way over in my car and now I look like this. It's my first day and I know I should be up here with the kids, but I have totally forgotten my uniform. Do you know where I can go and maybe borrow one. I really can't disappoint the kids now can I?" Buffy spoke just fast enough to not lose her breath. It was trick she had always mastered even if Willow was better at single stretch rambles than her.

"Oh, of course. Come on, anything for a fellow striper. We have a locker room down this way and you can totally borrow a uniform from me. But you have to wash it and put it back on top of the locker if I don't see you before okay?" the nice girl replied.

"Thank you, you're a hero. Oh, I am such a doofus. My name is Buffy and you are?" She continued in the light tone trying to keep the girl from thinking too much by keeping up a conversation.

"Amber. Buffy that's a cool name. You are from California right," Amber asked.

"Could you hear? It's the accent right. Yeah, I am totally a Valley girl and proud of it. My parents moved up here, but living at the house and just going to school every day was too boring so I just had to come here and help. How about you?" Buffy chatted as she passed the staircase doors behind which she guessed Scott and Logan were still hiding.

----------

"That girl is a lot cleverer than I thought at first," Scott said.

"And she knows how to fight. She's probably got a lot of life under her belt already. You think she's had problems?" Logan asked.

"Probably, but the Professor is sure she's only had her powers for a few months no where near enough to be this good at deception and she seems so innocent at times, it throws me a little. The Professor swore there was no way he would not have detected her earlier. So if she's had problems it wasn't of the mutant kind," Scott agreed.

"I don't think she's been living a regular California girl life rich or poor," Logan commented.

"Me neither," Scott said.

"So you're taking her back after her little meeting is over right?" Logan asked.

"What aren't you coming back?" Scott asked.

"I am staying here and guarding those girls. I've spotted a couple of people both today and yesterday who are a bit too focused on finding Buffy. I want to shake them down and see what falls out. We wouldn't want anyone to use the girls in there as some form of bait for our latest recruit now would we?" Logan asked.

"Good idea," Scott replied sounding surprised.

"It happens," Logan said.

There was a long pause as they waited. "So why you and not me," Scott asked.

Logan wanted to say because he knew that Cyclops wasn't really a good undercover guy or that any people like those he suspected he had spotted today, would never get caught by a guy in red sunglasses. However instead he said, "Because my classes can be canceled and the kids won't miss much. You're practically Charlie's right hand man back there."

"Ah, Cyclops said.

----------

Buffy waved to Amber a wide smile plastered on her face as she wandered from ward to ward until she found the girls or at least she figured as much with a police officer lingering outside. Buffy didn't say anything she just smiled widely at him and went inside as if she was on important business. The smell in the ward was giving her traumatic flashbacks to her last visit to a ward like this and it sent unwanted shivers down her back. She didn't have as many problems with emergency wards and usually she had her fear of hospitals under control like when she needed to do a quick visit for a stitch or two, but up in the Children's ward it was really getting to her.

Buffy found herself in the room after the officer ignored her. She saw Dream heavily bandaged and breathing in a tube in one bed and seemingly out of concern for Singer's state they had placed the pair together. Singer was lying with a bunch of toys and only a view band aids looking very desolate. She turned her head slightly as Buffy came in but didn't turn to really look at her. Buffy went around the bed. "Singer," she whispered.

"Nemo," Singer's voice was rough and gravelly probably from prolonged screaming.

"Shh, the police are outside. Uh, hi honey, how are you?" Buffy asked and leaned in really close. Singer didn't even flinch or pull away. She put up and single hand putting it on Buffy's chin.

"You rescued us. You're a hero. Nemo, I love you. Thank you," Singer whispered.

"I love you too. And Dream is going to be okay. We all are. But the police are looking for me, because I hurt the men that hurt you and I can't get caught by them. So I am going to hide for a few weeks at a new place. I've found a really excellent place for us. It's in another city at a school, a school for mutants. And you and Dream and I are going to go there and you're going to be safe, warm and have little full tummies every night. I promise. And what is it about Nemo's promises?" Buffy asked.

"Nemo always keeps her promises," Singer intoned.

"I do. I am going to trust you and Dream with a secret now. You tell her when she wakes up. You tell her about the plan and that some nice men or women will come and take you to me when she is okay. The police and the social people won't bother you any more after that. I'll have to wait for you there. But until then I give you my secret so you know you can trust me. My name, Singer, my name is Buffy Anne Summers, you can use it now," Buffy whispered.

"Buffy," Singer tasted the word.

"I am so sorry I can't stay much longer and I can't visit. Try to patient. Please try to be patient until you can come to me. But I have to go before the police man outside starts wondering. Is it okay Singer, can you be brave enough to let me leave and not cry too much?" Buffy asked wiping a few tears from Singer's chin.

Singer nodded but her eyes showed her pain. Buffy was only sixteen, but she felt almost maternal as she saw Singer cry in silence at the thought of her leaving. Buffy carefully hugged the little girl for several long moments until Singer had calmed then slowly let go before she turned and left waving a quick goodbye. Buffy found herself slightly teary eyed as well but fought the tears back as she quickly walked past the police man.

----------

Willow knew she was pathetic. At least she felt that way. She was wallowing. Within just a day her life had been tossed over and now her parents had given it her the coup de grace. The General had presented her case told her parents what had happened, what danger Willow was in and that they had to go into protective custody. Her parents had just said no. She had known they barely cared about her or what she did. They were only home a third of the year and most of that time it was just her and her mom or just her and her dad. Both of her parents had equally ignored her and her life even her stellar grades for years now. Willow wondered why she had expected them to throw away their life and their interests to go into hiding with her. Even the General had been shocked.

In anger Willow had not said goodbye in a nice way and now she was in a SHIELD truck headed out of Sunnydale away from the last stable part of her recent life which strangely enough was a bunch of demons hunters along with a single demon.

She had cried a lot in the last few months and she had hung onto all sorts of ideas weird or not to avoid the truth. But as her life fell apart the truths were apparent to her. Xander had committed a murder. Sure he had been kidnapped too but there had been no evidence of him being framed, quite the opposite actually. And Buffy who was supposedly dead, really wasn't but not even SHIELD knew where she was or exactly why it was necessary for Buffy to stay away from Sunnydale and her. That was the sum total gain she had gotten from her attack on the security of her nation aside from a lot of reports on Intelligence strategies, future weapon development plans and all sorts of other irrelevant stuff. Willow shook her head. She knew she couldn't have left things alone but maybe she could have reacted better. She vowed to think less with her heart in the future.

----------

Buffy looked out over the lake side the two men had driven their car down to. It was late in the night now. "So why did you take me here. Is this were I get whacked like in the mob movies?" Buffy asked.

"No, our transport is hanging out here. You're not afraid of heights right?" Scott asked.

"I have been changing my police on heights recently," Buffy replied thinking of her ability to fly under her own power.

"Okay then," Scott said and pressed a button on some remote. There was a wavy glittering surface on the still water and a black jet like shape appeared to be floating there all of a sudden.

"Get out, you have a jet with a cloaking device?" Buffy asked.

"Pretty much," Scott replied.

"Wow," Buffy reiterated. They waded onto the wing and climbed into the jet through a hatch. Buffy found the insides well lit and roomy with cabinets and deep tough looking seats. Scott went to the front and started the pre-flight stuff. She noticed that Logan had stayed with the car.

"What about him?" she asked Scott.

"He is staying to protect the girls. He was worried someone from the government would come and take them," Scott explained.

Buffy felt thankful for a moment then sat in a seat with a window and waved at the gruff supposed teacher, who ignored her and got into the car.

"Buckle up," Scott said.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"This is a small jet with several times the speed of a passenger liner, any sharp turns are a lot rougher than on a regular flight," Scott explained.

"Oh," Buffy replied and she got herself strapped in.

"You're going to like it at the school," Scott said.

"You know its a school right. School and liking it so don't go together in my world," Buffy replied.

"It won't have been all that bad," Scott said as the engines of the plane fired and they more or less took off vertically.

Buffy almost forgot about the massive acceleration as she whispered to herself letting her words drown in the engine noise, "depends if your school is on the mouth of hell too."

They flew for a few minutes in silence then an auto pilot sign came on and Scott let go of the plane's controls. "Are you nervous about meeting other mutants?" he asked.

"Not really, but are you sure they wanna meet me?" Buffy asked.

"That is usually not a problem. A lot of them come from the same situation as you. And it is boarding school so new people are pretty much celebrities for the first few weeks. I hope you'll let them help get you settled in. You're gonna find they're not that different from you," Scott explained.

Buffy fought to suppress a snort. She didn't want to be different than everyone else, but it wasn't her mutant powers that was what made her different. It was her life experience. She was sixteen and she was pretty certain she had prevented the world from slipping into Hell twice already. She had with her friends fought the forces of the night and the really weird. She had killed things that looked entirely human in enough numbers that she in the dark hours of the night in the past, had feared she was starting to differentiate less between human and vampire and more between who deserved to die and who didn't. For a regular American girl those thoughts had been almost as scary as her near-death. At least now things had changed, but she was finding out as she met people like Orion or Scott and Logan that her time as the Slayer and the Slayer skills which seemed to not want to fade like her Slayer powers had, set her apart and it would keep doing so. Buffy realized that while thinking she hadn't replied to some sort of question by Scott. "Huh," she said.

"I said, do you want us to contact your parents?" Scott asked.

Buffy swallowed a lump that formed in her throat. "No, please. My dad is really dead and I am like dead to my mom. Guys, can't we just keep me on a first name basis?" Buffy said thinking that maybe that way she could keep from reattracting the attention of the terrorists and still get the safe and good place to live that the guys had promised that she in what she considered her weak moments craved.

"That's fine, Buffy. We don't want to force anything on you. You wouldn't be our first mysterious student either," Scott replied.

----------

The trip had been incredibly fast. Buffy suspected that the very fancy jet was more than a little fast. It was also capable of landing vertically as she discovered when they slowed to a halt in the air over a massive old lichen covered stone mansion. The jet started descending. Buffy gasped however when they descended past the ground level into an actual underground hangar.

"Wow, totally a Bond moment here," she said.

The jet settled and the engine shut off.

"I understand the feeling and yes there is a lot to this place beyond it being a school but all of that is entirely optional and won't have anything to do with you or the girls for a long time," Scott promised with a kind and encouraging smile.

Buffy let go a held breath and Scott opened the rear hatch. She felt almost afraid as she stepped out into the huge domed room. There was some maintenance gear for the aircraft nearby and only a series of vents and a single double door led out of the room. Buffy looked up to see a huge hatch quickly glide shut hiding the jet.

"This is totally high tech," she commented.

"Wait until you see the rest and there is a lot of that rest," Scott commented, "This way." Scott headed towards the door, when it slid open to reveal an older man in a wheelchair and a black woman with entirely white hair.

"Welcome back, Scott. I see you've brought a new guest for us," the bald man in the wheelchair said. Buffy realized he was probably the man in charge as even with his handicap he seemed to radiate authority. He looked up at her another rare thing for Buffy and said, "I am Charles Xavier, the owner of this school. Welcome I hope you'll like it here," he said and offered her his hand.

Buffy shook it. "Buffy S... My name is Buffy," she said.

"She's the girl I told you about on the phone sir. The two other girls have to remain in treatment at the hospital for at least a week or more. I've made sure that the foundation picks up their medical bill so we'll get notified before their release. Logan decided to stay and make sure nothing else happened to them," Scott said.

"I understand. That was a good decision. Buffy, it seems you've been doing good work on your own, my dear," Xavier said as he turned his wheelchair.

"I just did what was natural," Buffy explained feeling a little overwhelmed for a moment.

"Let's go upstairs. This part of my school is not really what you should be dealing with now," Xavier said.

They went down a long passively lighted corridor with silver walls, passing other doors some like the one they had just passed other looking heavy almost armored. There were at least two other corridors that they passed until they reached a round part of the wall that slid open revealing an elevator. They crammed inside and only moments later the doors reopened into a spacious wood paneled corridor.

"Ororo, please if you would could you take Buffy to her room. I am sure she'd like a few moments alone," Xavier said as they walked out into the corridor.

"Buffy, I'd like you to go with Ororo. Later you and I will have a private interview about the school, you and what your and our plans for your future should be," the man everyone called Professor said. He was also making it clear to her that here he was the principal, but given the loyalty apparent in the men and one woman surrounding him, she had to figure that he was a kind principal, a rare species in her experience.

"Sure," Buffy agreed.

"Come with me please," Ororo asked. Buffy nodded and studied the pretty and tall woman with her mysterious accent.

"It's good that you finally could come here. We've known about you for over a month now, but there was not enough teachers for us to take on more students," the woman explained.

"Are there many students here?" Buffy asked as they passed a classroom. She paused in surprise as her glance inside revealed a blue skinned man with a tail sitting on a table explaining things. He was toying with a cross dispelling Buffy's thought of having landed in a den of demons. The kids were listening intently.

"That's Kurt. He's doing a special course on film studies. Not a usual subject, but Scott wasn't home to teach Math," Ororo explained.

Buffy nodded unable to keep from waving back as the Blue black skinned demon-like man waved to them with a kind smile. A couple of the older kids looked in her direction and Buffy thought she heard something fall over after she turned to follow Ororo towards a flight of stairs leading up to the next floor. "This place is huge," Buffy commented.

"Yes. Now you'll be on the second floor with all the older students. All students live here during the school year, some don't even leave for the holidays. This is a home to all of us. If you want to go back to your parents for a holiday visit or something like that, just talk to any of us teachers. Now I am sure you know these things, but I have to tell you the rules anyway. There are no drugs or alcohol allowed on the school premises. If you're sexually active please keep those activities private, there is no need to show the younger students any thing at any age that might offend them or give them ideas. Try to stay courteous and come to us the teachers instead of confronting a student you have a problem with. Don't use your powers outside of school unless permitted by a teacher. Don't use your powers in the house and never ever try to use your powers against a teacher or student. In case you get attacked you can do whatever you must to defend yourself though. But this is a school for mutants and the rules are here to keep this house standing," Ororo explained then pushed open a door into a small room about the size of her room back home in Sunnydale. There was two large beds in the room.

"Your roommate will be a girl, who goes only by the name of Kitty. She's one of the students who has been here the longest and she only a year or so older than you," the beautiful black woman said and gracefully walked over to open a closet. It had a lot of slacks, gym clothes, underwear and the like with a lot of room left to spare.

"How about you change into something new. I'll take you shopping this Saturday, so you can have some new clothes and shoes. All our unsupported students get a scholarship and an allowance. I know from experience it won't seem like a lot of money, but when you're settled in there will be opportunities to volunteer in the Salem Center community. We'll then pay you for your hours on top of your allowance like it was a regular job," Ororo explained.

Buffy felt a bit embarrassed for a moment. She only carried a little bit of her clothes and while mostly clean compared to their state before she met Orion they were still neither really clean nor in good condition and most of her better clothes had been left in the house when the police came looking for them. Still it seemed that this place was entirely set up to take in strays and homeless teens like her. She again wondered if there was a dark secret behind all of this kindness but if there was she hadn't discovered or sensed anything yet. "I'll change immediate, where is the bathroom," she said and went over to the closet to pick out a set of clothes.

"Outside just to the right. You also share a bathroom with two other girls aside from Kitty so please show consideration in the mornings," Ororo added with a smile.

"Oh and Buffy, when you're done just come downstairs someone will bring you to the professor," the woman called out to Buffy as she immediately headed for a warm shower. Buffy hoped this place would continue to surprise pleasantly because even with all the rules she felt like she had found a place with a bit of a feeling of home, something their stolen abode in Seattle had never managed even with months of staying there.

-


	6. Sundering Changes, part 6

Sundering Changes, part 6

Buffy gingerly went downstairs. She felt very much like a foreigner in the huge house and even with what she guessed was many other people living there, she didn't want to disturb anything yet. Suddenly she remembered what the feeling she was having was exactly like. It was like she was back starting her first day at Sunnydale High. It was a day of change and reckonings. What she did and said in the next day or so would influence her entire life at this place for a long time. Or at least that was what she felt.

Her hair was still slightly went but at least she was clean all over and dressed in completely fresh and new clothes. She felt a lot more like Buffy Summers than she had in months. Remembering who she was and what she had done in secret before she steeled herself and took the last step off the stairs. The huge room that the stairs led down into was empty she thought until there was the sound of the clearing of a throat. Buffy turned right and saw the blue skinned guy, Ororo had called Kurt. He was sitting on the wall his feet attached to it, like he was walking on it. He looked a little like he thought he was Spider-man or something. "Hello," the man said and gave her a shy smile.

Buffy, who still didn't feel like this guy was a demon for all that he looked like it, walked over and held out her hand, "Hi I am Buffy."

He smiled widely and shook it. "I am Kurt Wagner," he replied with an accent.

"German, I am guessing from the accent," Buffy asked having heard something like it in movies before.

"Yes, I come from Munich, that's in Germany," Kurt explained.

"I'm from Los Angeles," Buffy said.

"I know... The accent," Kurt said. They both laughed.

"The Professor wants to see you in his office. I should take you there," Kurt offered and stepped off the wall.

"So you're a teacher here," Buffy stated as they went along.

"No, not really not yet I mean. I am more of a helping hand. They helped me and I like it here. I am still working out what to teach, you see I have mostly lived my life as a circus artist. It is a wonderful life, but it does not teach you much that should be taught to children in a class room. I mostly hang around to help with the other things like keeping the house in shape, greeting guests and standing in when the teachers aren't home," Kurt explained. He opened a door admitting Buffy to a large classy office with a black board in the back and an empty circle of chairs surrounding a big wooden desk. Xavier was sitting behind it looking at her.

"Please sit down," he asked. "Thank you Kurt," the Professor said before the German mutant left. Buffy wondered if she could get the shy seeming man to tell her more of a circus life, she wondered how it was.

Buffy felt a little of the nervousness she usually felt in front of authority like Xavier. She felt almost like she was supposed to confess her sins or something. Buffy meanwhile slowly made her way over to the chair and sat down.

"I understand from Scott that you don't want to involve your family or give your full name. Is that true?" Xavier asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Okay, I understand if that's the case. You'll find that many of our students here come from similar situations as yours and won't mention their family much either. So instead let's focus on your situation and what the plan should be," Xavier said.

Buffy frowned, "my situation?"

"Yes, you see as Scott has told you we're a school, but we don't just teach regular classes here, we also focus on helping you train and develop your mutant abilities, so that you can have them under control at all times and use them properly on a daily basis. I want to not only educate you in the regular things, but to train your abilities," Xavier explained.

"Oh, I guess that's a good idea. I don't really think my abilities are all that useful in most people's day to day lives," Buffy replied thinking about how she had completely leveled the warehouse without doing much more than breaking sweat.

"Good. I am going to ask you some questions about your abilities and in a few days when he has the time one of my former students, who's now a doctor will come by an examine your health. I know this might sound invasive, but really we need to know if your abilities have physiological consequences of which we should be aware," Xavier said.

"Consequences?" Buffy asked a little surprised by this.

"Yes, in the end it is all about keeping you safe and sound, but not all mutant abilities we're gifted with are well-designed by mother nature. We have students here who over time developed secondary mutations from their ability and others who due to their current ability are unable to have direct skin to skin contact with anyone," Xavier explained.

Buffy thought how horrible that last student must feel but didn't comment on it. She certainly knew now how it was to be the school outcast, and she resolved to at least try and treat that other mutant as normally as possible when she met him or her.

"It is fascinating," Xavier mumbled to himself it seemed.

"Huh," Buffy said.

"Oh, sorry I was talking to myself, probably a sign of old age," Xavier said and smiled, "No let me explain. You see like everyone else here I am also a mutant Buffy. I am a telepath, that makes me able to read, send and manipulate thoughts and emotions, but in your case that is quite impossible for me to do much more than feel your presence and it leaves me in a fascinating situation, where I can't as I have grown accustomed to over a long life to tell what you're thinking and instead I am only able to vaguely sense parts of what you feel. Now before you get angry. I make everyone here aware of my ability and I will neither pry nor manipulate anyone unless I absolutely can't avoid it or the person asks me to look. However to me sensing thoughts and emotions are more like seeing and it is rather difficult for me to close my eyes all the time. However anything really deep in a mind requires great concentration and usually the cooperation of the subject," Xavier said.

"I wouldn't like anyone to read my mind," Buffy said, "but why can't you read mine."

"It is because of your power. You see your power seems to be tied into a loop of constantly supplying and consuming pure psionic energy. For me to read your mind I would have to do the equivalent of putting fuel into a large fire... It would be like trying to see what is happening deep inside a bonfire by putting my head inside it. Instead I can only look at the fire from the outside and try to interpret what its light means," Xavier explained.

"I think I understand, but I thought my power just made me strong and allowed me to blast energy from my hands and feet," she admitted.

"It does, but at your core you're a lot like a reactor producing pure psionic energy," Xavier said. Probably in reaction to Buffy's expression he continued, "Psionic energy is the energy produced and consumed by all mentally active beings. Mutants especially produce more of this and some have the ability to harness either the ambient energy or their own to produce wondrous results like my ability to read minds. In your case even when you're at rest like now you are producing a lot of this energy and is constantly consuming it to increase your physical abilities as you say. My guess is that you could vastly increase your output and use it to create various psychokinetic effects as evidenced by your ability to not only create pressure, but also light and heat," Xavier said.

Buffy gaped at him for a few moments.

Xavier laughed lightly, "Sorry I had a small Professor moment there. But rest assured Buffy that you can do more with your ability that you know and what you've seen so far have been more like small glimpses of what you can all do. I am pretty sure you have also yet to demonstrate your highest level of output. In time as we train your power we will examine that so that you can control the power within you instead of it bursting out one day and surprising you. I hope it will be a pleasing journey for you as it has been for many of my other students."

"Okay," Buffy replied and added to herself that she wondered if it was her destiny to meet geniuses all her life. What the Professor had said, did kind of make her feel like she had no idea about herself, but she guessed that was what she was also there to learn about.

"Mr. Xavier," she said, "about the girls I was living with."

"Yes, my dear, I have talked about the details with Scott. He'll head back to Seattle and help Logan when the time comes to move them, but with Logan there they are quite secure. He is exceptionally capable. Now we really should talk a little about lesson plans and the conditions of your education. When were you last in school?" he asked.

"I finished my sophomore year just fine. I kind of missed the start of my junior though this month though," Buffy admitted.

"That's excellent. I can see from your expression that you've not been too happy in school. I can't promise this place will be better but it will be a lot more personal. You're going to live with your teachers and the other students. We expect you to do the home work, because we will know exactly how busy you are and how you're feeling. But doing your homework is not a condition of your stay. There are a few conditions that are though. You attend all classes unless you have a legitimate excuse. There is no leaving the school grounds unsupervised without permission either, but we have regular groups going with a teacher into town. This is done purely because we need to ensure that there is a little disruption in Salem Center as possible. I encourage free speech but I'd like you to talk about any problems with the teachers before you take any problems up with any one else here. I guess Ororo would already have mentioned that one. Now about your classes, tell me a little about what you liked and disliked in school, but don't limit yourself to High School. And please be honest especially if you felt your education was handled wrong or was boring for some special reason. We try to differentiate teaching methods depending on how you learn best and I will put together your lesson plan both with an eye to that but also towards what you need to know to use your abilities to their fullest," Xavier said.

Buffy took a breath then decided to do it and tell it how it was with her and school.

---------

"Another totally Bond moment," Xander said as Mystique wearing the shape of a totally hot blond woman was parking their car in front of the Hotel entrance. A flustered looking valet ran up. They probably weren't expecting anyone to come this late in the night.

The valet babbled at Mystique in Albanian, but Mystique just gave him the keys. Xander got out as well.

"You will get used to those moments... And stop mentioning them to me. Are you ready for this?" Mystique asked and Xander knew she was loosening her gun in her purse. They were to enter the lobby and hit the gangsters meeting in the restaurant. He took a breath to steel himself and nodded.

They calmly walked inside. Xander immediately saw the four people sitting in the couches of the lobby as well as the two people standing at the doors to the restaurant. A small sign told everyone that the restaurant was closed in several languages including English.

"Deal with the couch potatoes, I'll handle the doormen," Mystique said just as they got close to the front desk. Xander turned and focused his power he reached out in his mind, felt something akin to wispy energy somewhere in front of him. He pulled it in as hard as he could. Xander saw the men gasp then slump over in the couches. One of them fumbled for something in his jacket, but Xander kept pulling the energy in and he immediately stopped.

Mystique meanwhile turned and ran forward. She tossed herself forward into a series of forward somersaults ending with her landing in front of the left most doorman and using her forward momentum to slam both her palms into his jaw. He flew up into the wall with thump. She held the gun sideways and shot the other guy in the right temple with her silenced gun. The other guy scrambled for his gun, but Mystique drew the gun over to point at his forehead and fired twice. He slid to a rest in silence.

Xander tried to ignore the yelling of the front desk clerk, but when a large shotgun was drawn up and over the counter Xander quickly turned and unleashed his power on the man before he could shoot Mystique in her now blue ass. Reacting as quickly as he could Xander pulled out a trick he had discovered with Magneto's help just after two lessons. He pulled the energy from only the head of the man, the place that was the easiest to reach and manipulate at this distance for Xander. The fat clerk collapsed onto the counter and slid backwards off it. According to what he had learned about his power at Neverland, the man could be brain dead already.

Mystique seemed to figure he was covering her back and quickly kicked into the door running into the room beyond firing her gun while on the move. Xander did as he was told and left the tomb-like silent room slowly walking the same way Mystique had gone. A man came running out towards him. Finding it easier with each try to draw out the energy Xander reached out with his power and consumed the life of his next target. The gangster died on the run and slid past Xander, who was suddenly fighting with himself. He was killing people. Real people with families, people who had never hurt him directly. Still he walked on and used his ability on all that he saw.

Mystique was kicking the living shit out of the two last men fighting, two other men were cowering under a table. Xander sighed and reached with his power. They never even screamed or complained. They just keeled over and died right there. Mystique kicked one guy down, grabbed the other's head and vaulted over him keeping her hold on him. She landed and hammered an elbow into the back of his neck. The snap and gurgle was horrible. She let go of the dying man picked up a big apparently discarded gun on the floor and fired one shot into the face of the last man in the room. Xander looked around at the carnage and felt sick to his stomach.

"Don't linger Triage. Now for the important part. The escape," Mystique yelled and grabbed hold of his shoulder before heading forward towards the lawn outside where a helicopter stood idle.

"Are we going to fly in that?" Xander asked.

"Of course not, that would be too high profile. The escape vehicle I told you about. It's a car of course," she ran past the helicopter and pressed herself into the bushes. They reached a wall. Mystique jumped up, but Xander knew there was no way he could do that. Mystique reached a hand down for him.

"Never leave a brother or sister behind," she intoned as he grasped her hand and lifted him over.

He crawled up grabbed the opposite ledge and lowered himself down the other side of the wall while Mystique jumped down. He let go and ran after the woman who now looked like a pretty black haired woman. She stopped next to a car and took a key hidden behind the front left wheel. Xander ran around the other side. Mystique got in and unlocked the passenger door. The car roared to life and they drove away at an entirely more sedate pace than Xander had expected. The night on the road seemed dark and quiet.

"You can relax now, Triage," Mystique said.

"Sure," Xander said and wondered again if he had just done something wrong, but it passed as he reminded himself what he was fighting for, flashing back to his tortures, the dead people in the woods and that those he had just killed were real criminals.

"It will get easier. Just remember that it is just until we have carved out a safe world for all mutants to live in. Our day to day sacrifice is a small price when you think about that little children won't have to go through the prejudice that we experienced. Our sons and daughters should be allowed to live in happiness," Mystique said.

Xander had shared his life story with Mystique and Magneto a while before he had left for Europe with Mystique. Still for a moment Xander wished he could talk to Willow and Buffy for just a few minutes. Jesse would have been better, but the vampires had taken him almost a year ago. Xander stared out the window at the foreign country passing by the window outside and wondered what his girls were doing now.

---------

Buffy felt almost dizzy as she stepped back outside the Professor's office. They had talked for nearly an hour and Buffy had almost at the end decided to confide her full name and what she was really running from to the sympathetic and intelligent Professor. Only the fact that they had been in the middle of their conversation when some guy had called from Washington DC to talk to the Professor had prevented it as Xavier had kindly asked her to leave since he knew what he needed to and that she should get ready for dinner and try not to be too overwhelmed by the students who would be very curious and inquisitive about her the second they met her.

There was a yell and some strange noises like from a lightsaber in the Star Wars movies then some more excited yelling but Buffy couldn't make out what the voices were saying. She walked along the corridor away from the central hall with the big staircase. She passed some windows and could see out on to a basketball court in the middle of a pretty nice garden. She figured that the basketball court was about the size and placement of the hangar door below. Several kids most of them younger than her were playing out there. One, a boy about eleven or so, jumped up and slam dunked the ball like it was no thing. Buffy gaped for a moment. It was one thing to know about mutants in larger numbers, but even having lived with Orion and the girls it had never been so physically obvious as now. Even with all the time she had been the Slayer it was not something you expected to see and then see everyone around ignore it like it was no thing.

A couple of girls lay on a blanket in the grass reading. Others all of them closer to her were lounging about talking. It looked practically idyllic. Finding a nook where there was a cushion built into the window sill obviously meant for people sitting there, Buffy settled in there for a while. She wanted to postpone more craziness on this already crazy day as long as she could.

Buffy had relax there for a while when a group of kids exactly her age or older walked past outside. It was two girls and two boys. One of the girls wore long elegant gloves and had a white streak in her hair. There was a smaller dark haired girl next to her talking excitedly. The girl with the white hair streak was holding the hand of a blond boy who looked totally taken with her, while a tall and very wide black haired boy walked behind them. Buffy noted he was built in a way that made her want to wolf-whistle. She watched him for a while then felt watched she looked to her left. A small bespectacled boy was standing there looking at her.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Buffy," she replied.

"I'm Artie," he said and looked impatient.

"Am I in your spot?" Buffy asked.

The kid nodded almost hesitantly. Buffy smiled and got up. "It's okay I am done with it. Enjoy," she said.

The kid smiled. "Welcome to Xavier's," he said after settling in.

"Thanks," Buffy said and walked down the hall, it was time to face the kids. She had faced demons from several different hells. This couldn't be much worse.

Buffy decided to go outside knowing that at least some of the kids would either come up to her or she would have to find an excuse to talk to them. It was a small place so she had better find some of sort of ally here as she had sought out Willow which felt like it was so long ago but really wasn't. She found a great friend that day. "I've got to find some way to contact Angel and have him slip Willow a message to know I'm okay," Buffy thought to herself.

Intrigued by the basketball court around which several of the kids were congregated at different tables and benches Buffy walked around that way. She wandered past the first bench where an Asian girl in very garishly colored street style clothes sat chatting with a slightly younger red haired girl. They stared at her as she walked past but didn't talk to her. Buffy walked over and sat on a bench leaning forward to watch the game. The blond boy from the older kids group walked over and sat next to her. "Hi, I'm Bobby, welcome to Xavier's," he said and held out his hand.

"Hi, my name is Buffy. So are you like the welcoming committee," she asked.

"Kinda, well my girlfriend told me to go and say hi and ask you to," Bobby said, but Buffy interrupted him while smiling.

"Okay, I will go over to your friends and your friends can ask all the questions they want to," she said and got up.

"How did you know," Bobby asked sounding genuinely confused.

"Come on, a girl never sends a boy over to talk to another girl unless she expects him to bring said other girl with her in situations like these. It's like just a part of the rules," Buffy explained.

"Ah, maybe. Does that makes sense to you? It seems a little complicated to me," Bobby said as they walked over.

"Haven't had many girlfriends huh," Buffy said just before they arrived at the bench where the rest of the group was seated.

"No, but..." Bobby was about to say more when the dark haired girl broke into conversation.

"So you're Buffy right. I am Kitty, I'm your roommate," the girl and apparently her future roommate said. She had an intense and smart look about her instantly reminding Buffy of a less innocent version of Willow. Kitty seemed to be about to take no shit from anyone.

"I am she. So are you guys the oldest students, because everyone else seems to be younger," Buffy commented while she sat down.

"Mostly there was another kid our age but he left. And there is Jubilee, Sam, Danielle and Roberto they're pretty much the closest to us in age. How old are you?" Kitty asked.

"16 going on 17," Buffy explained.

"More our age than theirs then. Too bad you're not trained or you'd have all your classes with us," Bobby's girlfriend said showing off her thick southern accent.

"Yeah, just make me sound like a retard," Buffy said.

"No, Ah am sorry, Ah didn't mean it like that. It's just that we've trained our powers and Ah heard you're new to your powers. That means you don't get lessons with us for a while," the girl explained.

"I guess we didn't get introduced properly. My name is Peter and the one you're talking to is called Rogue," the big guy said and gave her a smile.

Buffy smiled back at the big guy and saw him instantly blush. She wondered about his accent but couldn't quite place it. "So okay I have to ask. Are the teachers any good? I found them unusually cool for being teachers," Buffy said.

"They're really that cool. You should be happy about that though. They're all former students from this school. Professor Xavier's first ones actually. Well all except Wolverine. This place does have a tendency to make you a nerd though. I mean everyone, who has graduated so far, have turned into a doctor or gotten some kind of master's of some sort. I started here when I was thirteen and all I wanted to do was dance, but today let's say not only can I dance, I know a couple of martial arts and I think I might be getting a Master's in Computer Science soonish," Kitty explained.

"Definitely like Willow," Buffy mumbled and said, "Well I can promise I won't be turning into some sort of study machine. I am mostly here because I can't go home and I needed some place to live."

Rogue, Bobby and Kitty all chuckled.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Listen not to rain on your parade or anything, but really everyone here has the same sort of problem. I only have my dad left and he would rather have me here than underfoot in our huge home in Chicago, because he knows what I am. Bobby's parents recently asked him if he had tried not being a mutant for a while and we still don't know Rogue's story... And that's fine I know I promised to lay off on that subject," Kitty said after a look from Rogue.

"Interesting. Hey wait. What about Wolverine? Who's that again? Logan?" Buffy guessed.

"Yeah right on the money. Logan's not the academic type, but he is our primary danger room trainer," Bobby explained.

"And again I am left as the one having to say Huh. Danger Room?" Buffy asked.

"Sorry you hadn't heard about that yet. Yeah, the teachers aren't just boring old teachers. They're also out there in the world from time to time to stop other mutants from going nuts on the humans and to stop racists on either side from starting a war between men and mutants that doesn't need to happen," Bobby explained.

"Very eloquent," Peter agreed.

"So not only do we have a jet under the basketball court but our teachers ,who are supposedly all very cool, also go out and protect the world from the bad mutants and the evil racists. Do they have codenames and costumes too?" Buffy asked.

Everyone looked from one to another looking almost embarrassed. "Oh no, am I supposed to have a codename too," Buffy complained thinking back on Orion, Singer and Dream.

"Well we all have gotten one, but usually we pick one for you after a while. Well unless you already have one. Rogue had one when she came. So did Wolverine. I got mine from my powers," Bobby said.

"Okay if it so important and everyone uses them I should get a good one too," Buffy said.

"Too early, we don't know if you deserve a good one yet," Peter said.

"What are yours then?" Buffy asked Bobby.

"I am called Iceman, Kitty is called Shadowcat, which I agree is infinitely better than her old codename and Peter is called Colossus," Bobby explained.

"O-okay," Buffy said not too excited really about having some sort of codename except of course when it was there to keep her identity secret.

"Let's get the inevitable question out of the way. So what is your power?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah because I can give you an exact definition of the weirdness that's my power after I just had my head spun by the Professor. He said something about me having something like a sonic reactor in me or was it psionic. I am not sure. I definitely didn't know what he was going on about. Anyway I can fire these white energy shockwaves, fly and a couple of other things," Buffy said.

"Nice, that sounds like those powers are going to be useful. We just lost one of our guns, when Saint John left," Bobby said.

"The Guy that isn't here anymore?" Buffy asked and everyone nodded.

"He decided he wanted to go and... Well he turned out to be a racist bastard in the end," Kitty said.

"So is school over for today?" Buffy asked after a contemplative silence had fallen over the other kids.

"Yeah, Ah have... We all still have a tonne of homework, but Ah ain't gonna do mine until tonight," Rogue said.

"So I bet you got the entire rules speech and yes they do mean it, but I want to test a theory. I bet they didn't tell you about the chores," Kitty said.

"There are chores too," Buffy said surprised and admittedly a little disappointed.

"Yeah, sure. There is no staff to do the cleaning and cooking. Each of the teachers work with a couple of teams of kids. Each team usually three or four kids then rotate through the different jobs that the school needs done. We have a gardener and all the stuff we need to cook is delivered, but there is a team in charge of the kitchen and making the food, one team for every wing on every floor that does the cleaning and one team that does the laundry. The chores rotate weekly and we're currently on cleaning duty which is really the easy one. But hey if we don't do our chores then we don't get to eat, everything would be filthy and no one would have clean laundry. And to keep it all fair the teachers have to help as well," Kitty explained.

"So who is our teacher? I am guessing that with living with you I get to be on your team," Buffy said.

"Your teams has Storm as team leader. And we'd love to trade right Bobby," Peter said.

"Yeah, we've got Logan and he's not lazy but he has made it clear that he is not touching laundry and he's not really all that hooked on the other stuff either, so usually he just stands around glowering," Bobby said.

Buffy tried imagining the gruff man cooking and cleaning and was unable to. She shook her head and laughed.

Rogue checked her watch, "We should go inside. They're about to start making dinner and its the best time to sweep the floors in our wing, while the most of the kids are outside."

"I guess I might as well get used to it and help out huh. But I am warning you I am like a complete disaster in a kitchen. I am pretty handy with a knife though," Buffy commented as she got up along with the other two girls. They headed back inside.

---------

"Miss Rosenberg, we should discuss what happens now," General Fury said just as the strange jet, that had awaited them on the military base outside Sunnydale, took off.

"Yeah, I guess I didn't figure I would be here now alone... " Willow said her mind seething from the total betrayal by her parents.

"Neither did I and it presents us with something of a problem. While you certainly can go into Witness Security alone, the identity that was being prepared for you, included parents, so I can't just drop you into the hands of my agents just yet," the General explained and paused seemingly to think things through.

"Excuse me, sir, I have an important update on the current situation and there are a stack of reports piling up about activities by HYDRA, the Brotherhood, the Hand and there has been a report that worries me coming out of Latveria," an older red haired man walked in and place a stack of papers on the small paper next to the general.

"Thanks Dugan. Could you call up the Marshals and make them update the profile of Miss Rosenberg and get an ETA on when it is ready," the General said.

"Certainly sir, however there I have some comments on the reports that I'd like to make now..." Dugan said.

The two men started talking details about the reports, but Willow wasn't feeling curious instead she thought back on the meeting with her mom and dad.

---------

_Willow and the General stepped into her living room. A couple of agents were standing in the background having arrived earlier to protect her parents just in case. Her parents had been tense from the beginning while General Fury explained why there was suddenly federal agents in the Rosenberg home._

_"... So we have decided that you and your daughter should go into protective custody at least until we can be certain that there will be no further attempt on your lives," General Fury had explained._

_"No, that will not be what happens. We will not go with you General. Our daughter is old enough to understand the consequences of her actions and she should therefore also be the one that has to deal with them. I want you to note in your files and make it public that we have nothing to do with this. That we know nothing about what is going on nor will we know where our daughter is. That way we will be safe," Her dad said after giving Willow an angry look._

_"Dad, you can't be serious. They could kidnap you to get to me," Willow said._

_"Not if you do not contact us until this blows over. There is absolutely nothing what you tell us that convinces me that we should fear anything anyway. This is all tied in with that girl Buffy Summers you mentioned. This seems like a storm in a glass of water really and such things quickly blow over. So feel free. Take my daughter with you. Protect her well. But we will not come with you and that is the end of that," Her dad continued. Willow noted her Mom guiltily looking away._

_"I was always just a burden to you. An experiment that stopped being fun when I grew a mind of my own. Isn't that right Dad.... Mom... Please," Willow yelled._

_"Willow, don't make a scene. You're in an adult situation that you yourself has caused. So behave like an adult," her mom berated her. Willow balled her hands into fists and felt almost ready to angrily take a swing at her parents. The General placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head._

---------

"Willow?" General Fury's voice shook Willow out of her reverie.

"Yes," she replied.

"Is this your friend in the picture?" The general handed Willow a grainy picture of a thin girl in a lot of clothes, but even looking like a street kid Buffy stood out to Willow.

"Yeah," Willow said and felt a bit of a surge of hope.

"How would you like getting a chance to talk to her? The US Marshals aren't ready with a new secure location for you yet so I guess you could help me convince your friend to talk to me," General Fury suggested.

"Sure, Willow agreed.

"But I have to be at a thing in Washington for three days so we're going to put you up in a hotel there with agent Quartermain as your protection," General Fury explained.

"Thanks," Willow said. "I don't understand why you're going to so much trouble for me."

The general laughed a while. "Why do you think we're in this business if not to protect and rescue people. But don't think I don't have a hind thought behind my actions. I do. You have seen national secrets and to be honest that makes you valuable to our enemies. I don't believe in preventive assassination so my best option is to keep you safe and hidden," he explained.

"Thanks I guess," Willow said.

---------

Logan looked at his watch. It was time for him to take a swing by the Hospital again. He didn't keep regular hours just in case someone recognized him or figured out what his errand there was, so instead he went there at random intervals sneaking in and checking up on the two girls that Scott, the Professor and Buffy their new student had left him in Seattle to look after.

So far only a single social services representative had been by occasionally and the girls both now conscious, were keeping mum on the entire Buffy situation as far as he had been able to hear.

Having chosen to appear as a regular visitor coming to see some other patient and with the police man gone Logan slipped by the girl's room listening for their regular heartbeats while he took a look at the chart stashed outside the room. He didn't understand a word of the medical jargon scribbled down there, but he could read discharge dates as well as the next person and the girls had gotten one. In four days they were to be released, which gave them a bit less time than expected. Logan decided he needed to give the Professor a call, because they needed to move up their plans.

As Logan headed out looking for a pay phone remembering to smile at all the cute nurses on the way, he spotted something unusual. A pair of bald men in trench coats stepped off the elevators. They were both very tall and Logan was certain that the coats covered some sort of bulky armor.

While trying to look normal Logan slowed then casually headed into the main area of the ward where there was a phone. Out of the corner of his eye he examined the imposing pair. They scanned the room with their eyes moving out into the ward like their were deploying in enemy territory. Those two were definitely up to nothing good.

Logan picked up the phone, put in a phone card and dialed a nonsensical number. He started speaking to the busy tone and carefully keep his eyes and ears on the pair, who queried a nurse about the girls and if their friend a tiny blond girl was still here because they wanted to offer their support to her. The nurse of course didn't know, but it was obvious to Logan as the pair didn't go for the girls. They had to be there to look for Buffy. It seemed that their newest recruit was even more interesting than he had originally believed. He decided to defer his call to later and instead he went over into the waiting area and sat down using his ears to listen in on the two strange new arrivals. They in turn sat down not far from Logan but didn't speak or do much of anything after that.

---------

The dinner had been large, crowded and strangely pleasant event for it being held in the huge room that had doubled as a class room earlier. It had been decked with three long tables filled with kids and teens as well as several adults, the teachers as Buffy now knew. It was clear that everyone had enormous respect for each other, leading to a much politer tone than she had expected from a bunch of boarding school kids that didn't seem to be getting disciplined hard. It had to be the effect of living with awesome powers and learning to be responsible with them at a young age. Buffy had more or less gone straight back to her room just after and thereby grabbed the chance to reduce the crowd interested in her to Kitty, Rogue and the younger Jubilee, who had turned out to be a co-Valley girl and mall rat. They had bonded over shared stuff at the dinner table even if Jubilee was 14 going on 15. Now the three girls were seated in her and Kitty's room talking about the school. Or rather Jubilee was doing the talking, every moment none of the rest of them were talking, every silence the Asian girl fought to fill it by chatting.

"So I was like totally going crazy because the walls were electrified and it was set to really hurt. I couldn't explode my way out because there were other people there," Jubilee was talking about some sort of hole her and some of the other kids had gotten put into by someone and what really interested Buffy was what had really led to that.

Meanwhile Kitty managed to interject a comment, "and you can't control your power well enough to make more than pretty fireworks most of the time."

Jubilee gave Kitty an annoyed look, but went on, "And then Kurt teleported in. Only we didn't know he was okay because there he was all blue and dangerous looking. So we screamed a little but most of us have seen people with mutations before like his. I of course figured it out early on when he told us that he was there to free us. So he moved us up to him and Storm."

This time Buffy broke in, "Storm?"

"Storm.... I mean Ororo, her code name is Storm because she controls the weather. That's like one of the really big powers like the Professor's or Rogue. Not like mine or Kitty's," Jubilee explained quickly.

"Hey, my power is fine. How many people you know can shift their phase and walk through walls," Kitty complained.

"You can walk though things. Yay. But I have seen the videos from the Blackbird incident too. Storm took out several fighter jets by instantly throwing up several tornadoes. Compared to that you and I are small fry," Jubilee sounded like she wanted it not to be so. Buffy wondered how much your power really meant to many people here, it had meant a lot to Orion, Dream and Singer too. They had named themselves around that. Buffy didn't think she could do that. She had had Slayer powers and now had new ones. It just wasn't how she defined herself. At least she had fought against being that person: The Slayer. But somehow this was different Buffy realized. The Slayer Force had some sort of personality and it didn't as much take over but rather seemed to awaken those parts of a Chosen One's personality that matched its own. Buffy at least knew she was a person, not powers wearing a person. But she had to admit that Storm's powers did sound more impressive than Kitty's or even her own. She wondered what Rogue's power was since the girl was rated at the same level as the Professor and Storm.

As the conversation turned to Kitty's former relationship with Peter and how things were between Rogue and Bobby, Buffy found herself thinking as she often did lately of afternoons in the sun chatting and kidding around with Xander and Willow or the late night heart to hearts between her and Willow in their rooms or over the phone. She ached for her mom and for Giles. She even mourned her dad some of the time. Buffy didn't want to think about Xander having killed himself or that any phone call from her to her mom, Willow maybe even Giles could be their death sentences.

Buffy realized as she sat there that she was really a threat to this place as well. Terrorists were looking for her and they might try to kill her and hurt the kids or teachers here in the process. She wondered if it had been wrong to accept any help, but Buffy remembered the feeling of being rootless and found herself astounded that it had only been so little time since Orion had died and yet here she was right as rain chatting with girls like nothing had happened. The fear that she might have hardened her heart to a stone in her Slayer years reared its head again.

Buffy realized that she had to decide if she would stay if she was a threat. She decided that the best thing to do was to delay the decision. Her cover was intact and there was nothing linking her to Seattle except the girl and there was even less linking her to the school meaning the terrorists would have to come to the school to spot her. Buffy was sure there was like no chance of that happening.

---------

Professor Xavier listened as Logan explained the new situation to him. "So these two stayed for a while then left. I left a bit later and I found that those two stooges have at least four friends, a pair posted at each major entrance to the hospital. If our latest mystery shows her face here or we try to move the girls there will be hell. I caught a glimpse under the coats and I saw weapons there that looked about as fancy as that big round room of yours. Real space age stuff, so I figure we need to play this smart," Logan reported.

"I agree. I think that the day after tomorrow I will send Scott, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler to help you. Between the four of you I am certain you can find a way to rescue those two and bring them here with those people being none the wiser. I don't want a confrontation Logan please understand that," the Professor explained.

Logan stayed silent for a while. "Someone should ask our new guest why there are people looking for her," Logan finally said.

"And I will as soon as our new guest feels less skittish. Buffy is one of the strongest talents of the latest generation of mutants, her potential is vast. I would hate to push her away and I get the feeling that while she deep-down doesn't want to run away, she might convince herself that she was doing us a favor by doing so, especially if she feels her being here might bring danger to our doors," the Professor said.

"That sounds like a better idea than what I had in mind. I guess that's why you're the Professor and I'm just the PE guy," Logan said.

---------

Xander looked around at his latest home. It was a large facility dug deep into a small ridge in the middle of Venezuela. They had an underground hangar, a river flowing by an entrance accessible by boat and a good sized collection of mutants working to make it livable. It was remote and very secret, but it was theirs and it was supposed to be the latest step forward in their quest of mutant security. He turned and walked from the cave entrance towards the big cavern where Magneto was going to speak to them about the plan. Later he knew he was supposed to spend some time training with Pyro and some of the other new guys that had arrived while he was in Europe with Mystique.

"Brothers and sisters, it is good to see you all safely gathered here today. I say this because the humans have started doing what we have feared for so long. Just a short while ago we were called to rescue some of you from a deathcamp the first we have found, but I fear neither the last in existence or the only one to come. They have started the process. They want to tell themselves that they can capture and kills us in secret so that the true future of mankind can fail," Magneto yelled. "The coming of the Superior Man is inevitable, because we will not allow the bigots and racists of the world to kill us one by one. We are a brotherhood and united we will prevail. We will go forward from this dark hour. We will avenge those we have lost. We will carve out a part of the world and make it safe for all mutants who want to join us. Our first target must be the chief perpetrators of the cruel attack on us. The USA has fired the first shot, we will find a way to give answer and make sure they won't do it again," Magneto roared and Xander yelled out along with everyone else in the cavern.

A while later as the gathering broke up reenergized and ready to act, Xander headed over to meet with Pyro, who while a nice enough kid most of the time was both a hothead and very arrogant. Xander approached his new friend who was standing with a blond girl about their age. She had shoulder long bright blond hair and a beautiful body fit for a model. She was also nicely dressed quite in contrast to the practical clothes everyone around them wore. "Hi there," Xander said and fought to hide his immediate interest in the hot girl.

"Hi," Pyro said then looked from one to the other. The girl was staring at Xander and Xander couldn't help staring back.

"I'm Triage, but you can call me Xander," Xander said and held out his hand.

"Esme, I don't have a proper codename yet," the girl said, but Xander realized she hadn't opened her mouth. He had felt her words. He totally forgot to worry about the telepathy when he realized that Esme was even more beautiful up close.

"So you're new here. Have anyone given you the tour?" Xander asked.

The girl laughed, "No, but many have offered. How about you do it instead of them?" She offered Xander her hand and he took it trying to hide his shock at her very apparent interest.

"Why so shocked Xander," he heard Esme's voice in his mind. "I can see the person. I don't care if a guy have few less muscles than the next guy if I like the person inside the shell then I will spend time with him. Telepathy does cut through a lot of crap if you're allowed to use it"

"Cool," Xander thought. "Let's go," he said.

Xander ignored Pyro saying, "What just happened," to Pyro's latest new buddy a guy called Avalanche, who had just walked up behind them. Xander was focusing all his attention on Esme and ignored them as he and the blond girl left.

---------

"I am making you nervous aren't I?" the big blue haired man the Professor called Hank and served as the part time doctor of the school who apparently was heading for a job with the government in a few days, so this would be his last visit. The doctor had been trying to get a needle through her skin twice and failed each time.

"What makes you think that?" Buffy asked.

"Your eyes are glowing and if my and the Professor's theories are correct, your power output is tied to your emotions especially your invulnerability. And if you stay this nervous I will not be able to penetrate the field covering your skin. Please try to calm yourself. Is it my looks that frighten you? We could have the Professor do this instead," Hank offered.

"No, of course it's not you... It's hospitals. And needles. I am weird that way. I can handle blood and gore believe me, but this place is just so clinical I can't relax," Buffy said.

"Ah, well that is easily remedied then," Hank said.

A few minutes later Buffy felt a prick and the weird but known tension in her flesh of a needle entering it while watching the kids play outside from the pretty view in the downstairs living room of the mansion. "Well it really wasn't my looks. You're really quite remarkably resilient about your or other people's mutant nature according to what I was told by Storm and the others teachers. A quite admirable trait. So I understand you've only been aware of your mutant status for a few months?" Hank asked as he put the blood sample he took into some kind of container.

"Yeah, I was not really expecting to suddenly be a mutant. It did happen at a very convenient time though," Buffy said.

"I have what we need along with the scans we took earlier. So how about you go find Storm out by the out edge of the garden, she should be waiting for you with something to do that I understand she has insisted to start you on already today," Hanks said while smiling.

"That sounds mysterious," Buffy said.

---------

Buffy wondered what was going on when she found Storm standing in a black uniform near the tree line. She walked towards the kind African whom she had come to appreciate even after only being at Xavier's for nearly 5 days. "Hank told me to come out here. Are we having a costume party?" Buffy asked when she stepped closer the woman in her black leather with the X decorations.

"No, this is our usual uniform when we are using our powers. They are durable and have special improvements to accommodate their use. In my case the cape is needed to help aid my ability to ride the winds... to fly. Which is the reason we are out here. Today we have the rare opportunity to have an outdoor flying lessons. The satellites overhead cannot see exactly because of the overcast skies and Hank has installed the latest version to the holographic technology we use inside for the Danger Room out here as well. He says that this technology will allow us even more protection from being seen, because it will put out a picture to the outside world that no one flying under their own power through the air, even while we ride the winds. We must stay low and within view of the school and each other. You must also wear this headset and radio unit. It has a few sensors on it so we can record your airspeed," Storm explained.

Buffy felt almost overwhelmed for a moment. She felt like she needed to change into something a bit more substantial than the sweats she was wearing and the entire fact that she would be flying in a moment had not been lost on her. For all that she knew it was her own power, Buffy had never been too happy about flying. She had been on airplanes before like a few days back with the X-jet, but this was an entirely different thing. "Couldn't we like start out with some indoor training of some sort first? Maybe with a net beneath me?" Buffy asked.

"I promise we will start carefully," Ororo put a calming hand on her shoulder. "But there is nowhere except the Danger Room big enough for even a few moments of flight inside the mansion, and the Professor believes that given the nature of your flight method, you'd need more room for your lessons. If Hank's technology works we will be able to fly outside a lot more than before so it needs to be tested anyway."

"I just have a bad feeling about this, but I will try," Buffy agreed then thought a moment, "Hey won't this projection thingy also let you fly in and out of here with your jet like all the time."

Ororo smiled and nodded.

"Clever," Buffy said trying to distract herself. The last time she had used her power it felt almost like a heady rush to let go and just blast. She hadn't seen pictures of the destroyed remnants where she had done it but she was pretty sure it had been bad.

"Let's start. You try slowly to rise and remember stay close and don't panic. If you feel that you're out of control just say it. I will be there," Ororo promised.

Buffy nodded then noted where Ororo was. "You should step back a little," Buffy said.

Ororo did as Buffy suggested.

Buffy focused then found that the projection of the energy in her body was getting very easy now. It was almost becoming like a second thought to call it up. The actual flight launch wasn't as much. The last time she had been mostly running on instinct and now she was finding it hard to think what she needed to do. Buffy blinked then remembered how Giles had taught her to fight like she felt it best. Sure he had made sure she didn't telegraph her punches or get bogged down by the terrain, but he had also always said that it was her instincts not constant planning of her moves that was her strength. That was why she wasn't launching but just standing in the grass wreathed in white flames. She let go and left it to her instincts to guide her.

---------

Bobby was doing some of his homework. Rogue, Kitty and most of the other kids near his age had a Danger Room lesson but Bobby had opted out because the scenario they were running was not one he dug. It was about trying to save the life of some politician that hated mutants without letting on that mutants were protecting him.

There was a massive white flash outside then a low tremble in the ground, before a white star shot off into the sky. Bobby blinked the flash from his eyes but the white object was already out of sight flying low over the trees. Storm also flew up and hung just above tree height.

Peter who was not in the Danger Room because he was behind on his math class got up and stared out the window. "I think that was Buffy," he said.

Bobby nodded. Buffy was really the only mutant who was enough of an unknown to have a flight power they hadn't known about. Bobby liked the girl, but for all that she was pleasant and willing to share in the fun at school and tell of life on the street, she was far from an open book and even more likely than Rogue to shut down any inquires into her past life. So far all he had really learned about the girl was that she seemed to have no problems with being a mutant. A rare feature in a school where pretty much everyone including him had a sort of hang-up about their special nature. But the girl had immediately befriended people like Artie with his blue tongue and even Nightcrawler a man that everyone including Bobby thought had some pretty serious physical mutations.

"Wow," Peter repeated when the white star passed the mansion again like it was the Blackbird at full speed including a low roaring sound almost like it was a missile passing. Outside Storm, who was still hovering slightly above the treeline, looked like a lame duck compared to the blazing fireball that was the school's newest student.

"So is it the room they're in or are you just into tiny girls?" Bobby asked as he noticed that Peter was almost glued to the window staring for a glimpse of the white object.

"Huh," Peter replied as he sat back down to look at his homework, but kept glancing out the window.

"Come on, you've been making puppy dog eyes at Kitty ever since she broke up with you and now all of a sudden you're making the same sort of eyes at our newest tiny girl. Don't think I didn't see you fall of your chair that day when Buffy passed by our class. You know back when we were having film studies with Nightcrawler, and she had barely been here more than a few minutes," Bobby explained.

"So what... She's easy on the eyes and I like her attitude. But you will not mention I said this to Rogue or I will fling you out of the nearest window Iceman," Peter said.

"Hey, I don't talk about guy stuff to Rogue especially not stuff like that. Especially with so few of us in the older ranks," Bobby replied.

"So not if she offeres more handholding then?" Peter replied.

"That was low man," Bobby said. Peter looked apologetic for a moment then went back to work on what looked more like a sketch than any kind of math.

"Besides we've kind of carefully kissed a few times. We just can get any heavier than that," Bobby mumbled. Although he had to admit that he often found himself hesitating before kissing Rogue before of the drain on him that happened every time.

---------

The world was almost quiet for Buffy as she twisted once more and went around in a curve. It felt almost like she was not really exerting herself to maintain the speed she was going. The world was tuned out to a faint hum by her flames and again it felt good to use her power. It felt like a release.

The voice of Storm that had been a steady presence in her ear piece since her blazing takeoff came in long and clear as Buffy passed the school again. "That is good Buffy. You control your direction by the direction of your lower body and your hands seem to work as controls. And your control is amazing for a first time."

"Thanks, but I've tried this like twice before. It's seems natural," Buffy replied into the mouthpiece of the headset she was wearing before turning again and heading back again. She had the feeling she was going really fast but she had no clear idea of how fast she was.

"Okay, Buffy, how are you feeling? Is the height bothering you? Or the speed?" Storm asked.

"Nope I'm good," Buffy replied. And she had to admit she really was. It was the feeling of being in control that helped. Buffy could trust she wouldn't crash because she was flying under her own power.

"Okay, look to the East. There is road in the distance. It should be mostly empty. I want you to fly as fast as you can down it until you see a gas station and then turn back. Push your speed as hard as you can to get back here and land," Storm suggested.

"Cool," Buffy said and bent her legs slowly. She turned in a wide curve. Buffy spotted the road snaking towards what the other kids claimed was a sizeable town nearby. Buffy focused and really pushed her power out of her. There was a massive rush through her and Buffy saw the landscape move below her like she was aboard the Blackbird again. She focused on pushing and following the road. Suddenly she blew past the gas station Storm had mentioned. Buffy bent her body upwards the leveled out. She was flying with her back to the ground heading back towards Xavier's. Almost lazily Buffy spin back around so she could see the ground and did as Storm had told her. Buffy gave it everything she had. There was a happiness in Buffy's mind that she realized she hadn't felt in a long time. It was almost a rush to feel so free as she did in that moment and only the fact that her mom and friends weren't around hurt enough to keep her from yelling in joy as she barreled forward.

Buffy felt another rush go through her and for the first time felt like she was using some sort of resource in her body. She could feel it like she was running as hard as she could. Sprinting to save someone like back in Sunnydale at night. And as she had learned then Buffy pushed through the pain. She saw the school appear in the distance then seemingly rush towards her. Buffy could feel her strength ebbing. She saw Storm hovering over the treeline. Buffy veered off and did what she had done in Seattle. She deactivated her flight power and countered her speed with bursts of power from her hands. She landed on the ground with two small craters left in the grass.

Feeling a bit dizzy Buffy sat down and took a big breath of air. Her heart was racing and she felt sweat slowly appearing all over her body. The pain of exhaustion slowly gave way to the pleasant tingle after a good workout. There was a slowly fading wind and Storm walked up to Buffy. "That was amazing Buffy," the teacher said and smiled warmly.

"Hey thanks," Buffy said.

"You really showed amazing control back there. I believe that in a few lessons we'll even get the landing worked out," Storm smiled.

"Sorry about the lawn," Buffy said.

"It is no problem. How are you feeling now?" Storm asked.

"A bit out of breath. I could really feel it here at the end," Buffy said.

"With training your reserves will grow. Mutant powers often have a great deal of unrealized potential and must be trained much like muscles to reach their full potential," Storm said.

Buffy remembered the destruction she had wrought and said, "But what if that potential is really dangerous?"

Storm looked at Buffy and nodded to herself. "That is a question I have often asked myself too when I was learning my power. You see my ability to control the weather is vastly stronger than what I really use every day. I could create deserts from the most well-managed farm lands. I could build tsunamis and given time I could probably destroy entire countries. So when I learned I asked myself and the Professor this very question. But the answer for me at least has been that I'd rather know and be in control of my full potential than spend my days in fear that I could one day by accident cause a massive storm or something akin to that because I feared something which really is a natural part of me," Storm explained.

Buffy stopped. "A natural part of you," Buffy mumbled. She had never considered that. She had always fought against her destiny as a Slayer. It had not been natural to her. Buffy had never been able to pinpoint why. It was not relevant now, but considering that her new powers were decided by her genes and therefor a natural part of her and that they didn't come with a set path into the future attached to them she sure liked being a mutant a lot more than being the Slayer. For all the hardships her new situation had and would bring it still wasn't the guaranteed death sentence that being the Slayer was. Buffy remembered the feeling of unbridled freedom she now realized she had been feeling while flying and decided that this feeling and maybe even this school was what she wanted.

"So now what?" Buffy asked as she entered the school with Storm. After a half day of school and about a half day of tests Buffy felt like it was time to relax. "Now you go and help our team clean your floor. I believe you're on floor sweeping detail," Storm replied.

Buffy nodded and said, "Way to kill the mood there Storm."

"You used my codename," Storm said. Buffy realized it was true. Somewhere along the way that seemingly ridiculous second name had become natural in her mind to apply to the kind black woman.

"Yeah, but that's fine right?" Buffy asked and Storm nodded.

Buffy headed upstairs while Storm headed for the Professor's office.

---------

Esme and Xander sat in the small clearing atop the Brotherhood's base. Xander had given the beautiful girl the entire tour, but most of the time they had talked. Esme it turned out was another escapee from Neverland, freed by Mystique while Xander and the others had been interviewed for Magneto's TV broadcast.

"So Xander, do you have nightmares about Neverland too?" Esme asked.

Xander looked out into the late afternoon of the jungle. "Yeah," he said.

"Like me then," Esme said. "I guess that's part of the reason why I came along. Is it bad that all I really want is revenge?"

"No, I don't think so. They treated us like we were less than animals. Sure not all of us are innocents but that doesn't give anyone the right to torture people," Xander said.

Esme sat in silence for a while. "How about family and friends. Do you miss them?" Esme said.

"I don't miss my family... Well maybe my mom a bit from time to time. I do miss my friends, but I haven't really taken the time to check out how things are going for them. I can't just call them... I wonder what they're thinking about me from time to time," Xander mused and thought about Buffy, Giles and especially Willow. He hoped they hadn't been so disappointed in him that they had not missed him. He hoped that they could forgive him what he had to do for himself and his race now.

"Are they - you know - flatscans?" Esme asked.

"Flatscans? Oh, you mean human. Yeah they're human," Xander said.

"What would you do if they came between you and a mission?" Esme asked, but Xander could hear she was asking herself the question just as much as she was asking him.

Xander mulled it over. He knew that if Buffy had still been the Slayer she'd have fought him to protect anyone he was a threat to. Buffy had been like that. But with her powers gone he guessed she'd see reason and get out of the way, she did after all have a certain pragmatism in her nature. Giles, Xander didn't feel he knew well enough to exactly judge but Xander guessed that the Watcher would side with the largest collection of humans the regulars, if it came down to it and that probably included if the Watcher given the choice of just getting out of the way. Just like with Buffy Xander was pretty sure Giles wouldn't be able to change Xander's mind. The only one who had any chance at doing that was Willow.

"I'd try not to hurt them, but I wouldn't let them stop me," Xander realized. He wondered if that was really true, but he felt as if some of the affection he had for his friends had faded from his time in prison. It wasn't that he didn't care, but he just didn't feel that a few individuals were important enough to stop the cause. At least he believed that.

"Me neither. And I actually have a mission that is taking me closer to what used to be home soon," Esme explained.

"You're nervous about it," Xander stated.

"Yeah," Esme admitted. "Magneto says that after I get some thorough training he needs me to go to a special school in upstate New York. A school for mutants. The man, who runs it, is a telepath and Magneto is afraid that if he sends anyone else but another telepath they'll be found out. So it has to be me."

"Is that what's making you nervous?" Xander asked.

"Yes. Xavier, the teacher there, isn't just a telepath. He is the world's strongest telepath. And the rest of the teachers aren't supposed to be slouches either. He is extremely powerful. If he finds out I might not even notice it when I am suddenly turned into some other person that who I am now. And I'll have to spy on a bunch of students that have been cuddled and led to believe that we can live peacefully together with the humans. I will have to fight not to say, think and feel anything that they can pick up on. And I'll have to stay for a while," Esme explained and quite unexpectedly ran a hand across Xander's hand.

Xander almost moved his hand away in surprise but managed to stop himself. "Why me," he asked again.

"I like you. It doesn't have to take more than that. Haven't you ever been in love Xander?" Esme replied.

Xander looked out over the jungle for a moment before facing Esme again. "Not in anyone that felt the same way about me," he admitted.

"That's okay," Esme said and gave him a kiss on the cheek while still holding his hand.

---------

Willow looked out the window at Washington. It was an amazingly beautiful and clearly planned city. Or at least it seemed so from the window of her hotel room.

"You're a bit antsy," Agent Quartermain said.

"Wouldn't you be," Willow asked.

"I would have been a wreck if my parents had done what yours did? I am worried about you and I barely know you," Allan Quartermain said.

"My parents usually leaves me alone for weeks at a time. My friend's mom used to take it on faith that my parents were okay with me staying over at her house or my friend coming over. Don't be so alarmed, Allan, they lost interest in me years ago," Willow said.

"That is just not normal," the SHIELD agent said.

"I know," Willow agreed.

"The General is taking us to Seattle in a few days and then after that we can get you and maybe her too settled in somewhere nice. I just hope your friend really knows something useful, but she kind of have to with all those people after her," Allan said.

"I wonder what it is," Willow said.

"You have no idea?" Allan said.

"Nope," Willow said.


	7. Sundering Changes, part 7

Sundering Changes, part 7

"Please take a seat Kitty," the Professor said as she arrived at his office. She had been called out of class by the Professor's mental voice earlier and now found herself wondering if she had pulled something that she had forgotten about already. Scott and Nightcrawler were seated in the room looking a bit dire as Buffy would have called it.

Kitty walked over and sat in one of the many chairs in the Professor's office. "So what's going on?" Kitty asked.

"Buffy might have told you about this but when we found Buffy in Seattle, she was watching over two very young mutant girls, who had been viciously attacked by a group of Drug dealers. Buffy had already dealt out proper punishment but that did nothing to change the fact that her charges were grievously wounded and had to stay in hospital. Buffy only agreed to come here because we promised to take care of these children as we offered to do her," the Professor explained.

"We wouldn't have left them there even if she had asked for it. Those two by no means deserved the situation they were in. In either case Logan spotted a problem recently and we're here because you could help us resolve it," Scott explained.

"I don't understand," Kitty said.

"Kitty, I understand that you have not signed on to be one of the X-Men yet, but I'd like to have you join Scott and Kurt in the field to help evacuate the girls," the Professor said.

"No problem I'd love to help but what was the problem Mr. Logan spotted?" Kitty asked.

"A group of heavily armed men have stationed themselves in and around the hospital with what we believe is the express purpose of catching Buffy as they have been asking about someone who fits her description. I have decided that you three along with Wolverine should attempt a stealthy extraction, removing the girls from danger and only then will Cyclops and Wolverine attempt to ascertain the reason for these men to be seeking Buffy, while you and Nightcrawler keep the girls safe," Professor Xavier explained.

Cyclops looked up at the Professor, "There is one issue that we haven't decided on, Professor."

The Professor gave Cyclops a curious look.

"Buffy more or less promised these girls she'd come to pick them up, they have no idea about us. I know you don't like the idea, but I think if we're to accomplish the mission safely we need to bring Buffy along. She doesn't need to know exactly why we're pulling a quiet extraction just that we are. I'm sure Kitty can help me deflect any curiosity," Cyclops explained.

"I am not certain that taking Buffy out of here now would be wise. She seems a bit skittish and while I cannot be certain with her, I think she has at times considered leaving here as soon as the girls make it here to safety," the Professor said.

"Honestly Buffy might have thought that. But she is lost. I don't think she knows it herself, but she needs someone and some place maybe even a purpose to fight for. She seems antsy all the time. She reminds me of my dad. He just can't relax you know. He hates vacations and always needs to do something, to have some project. Buffy is a bit like that. I think she is used to being busier... well not with school I guess but with something at least. Also if she promised to pick up the girls or you promised her that she could do that then she will be angry if you didn't at least ask her. I can tell that just from how she reacted when Jubilee forgot to tell Buffy about it being Buffy's job to vacuum. She expects people to be honest and true to their word," Kitty said.

The Professor studied Kitty for a while and while she doubted he was reading her mind she was never really certain with him. He wasn't nosy, but at times he was a bit better informed about the students than he should be.

"Kitty, I believe you and Cyclops are both right. Now Buffy is not trained in her power at all so I don't think it prudent to let her know about the dangerous people looking for her, but how about we ask her to help Kitty and Nightcrawler which is natural as they're going to handle the girls anyway... I'll ask Storm to send over Buffy," the Professor said.

"So we leave as soon as she is here, except of course we have a surprise for you in the changing rooms downstairs," Cyclops said.

"That sounds like you have a uniform for me," Kitty said.

The Professor and Cyclops gave each other a look and a grin. Before either of them answered there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," the Professor called out.

Buffy walked in. Kitty noticed something as the girl walked in. Buffy entered a room differently than most of the other kids at the school. Most people gave a room a quick look or didn't look at all. Buffy entered a room almost like on a prowl, she methodically looked around not by whipping her head around but shifting her glance by the way she moved. Kitty wondered who this reminded her off, but she couldn't put a finger on it.

"Buffy, there are police looking for you and there is talk of moving the girls from the hospital. I have decided that Kitty and Nightcrawler will help you bring the girls back here, while Cyclops and Wolverine will cover you from any difficulties. But you'd have to leave now," the Professor explained, the white lie not even registering on his face.

Buffy smiled brilliantly. "I am so there. No offense but you need to let us out more, we're not going to wilt in the sunlight," Buffy said.

"I am not concerned about the sunlight. However there are other issues as you might know. And believe it or not teenagers with awesome powers are not safe for other teens to hang out with some of the time especially if a certain amount of racism becomes involved," the Professor replied but kept his tone light.

"Okay, but this is not the last time we've had this talk," Buffy fired back as everyone got up.

As a group they headed for the elevators and through the basement tunnels past the Danger Room to enter the X-Men changing room. The group stopped. Buffy a few steps later than the rest. The girl turned and looked at them.

"What's up," she asked.

"We'll be a moment. Please go wait in the hangar," Cyclops said. Buffy studied them for a moment then turned and left for the hangar.

"This one was made for you," Cyclops said and held out a uniform he had just removed from a sealed locker. Kitty realized she always thought of Scott as Cyclops, when he became gloomy and focused like he was at the moment. She had seen it before in the Danger Room. From now until they were back Cyclops was in charge and he had no time for fun and games. Although if she was honest with herself, there were times when Kitty thought that Scott had become Cyclops fulltime since Jean had gone. In her growing up at the School Scott and Jean had become somewhat of the heads of the family with the Professor as the larger than life ideal hovering above them. The loss of Jean had hit them all but none more so that Scott. Very recently he had seemed better, but Kitty wondered as she picked up the suit from its rack, if Scott Summers would ever really be okay again.

"Thanks," she said and wished Storm had been coming along. The woman was the closest thing to a mother in Kitty's life and Kitty kind of wanted her to be there when she put on her X-woman suit for her mission.

----------

A hologram of Buffy hovered in the middle of darkened room. "Okay listen people the target is Buffy Summers. We've been sent here to capture or kill her, but she hasn't shown her face at the Hospital for a while. However we have ascertained that the two girls she brought there for treatment can be moved now and that both actually expect Summers to return. We will extract the girls using a Chameleon net programmed to make the wearer look like Summers allowing us to secure leverage over her when she eventually appears. We will await her return at this safehouse and offer the exchange of the girls' lives and freedom for Summers' unconditional surrender. Now there is a chance that the target might be a mutant or something similar given her previous escape. So when we face the target in a combat situation I want you to only take a couple of trial shots with the tranqs and if that doesn't work all forms of ordinances are given free. Also intel indicates that SHIELD might be interested in Summers too and our employer is emphatic that should we get into a situation where SHIELD takes custody of her, then everything including Summers must be obliterated, everyone clear?" the yellow uniformed man looked around at the other equally dressed AIM enforcers who all nodded.

"Good the extraction is set for 10.00 o'clock local time," the leader set a timer that ticked away beneath the hologram of Buffy and turned towards a computer behind him.

----------

"Well, you're getting around the US Miss Rosenberg," General Fury said as he walked onto the strange aircraft that was taking them to Seattle. He was not dressed in a formal uniform, but instead wore simpler gray black pants with lots of pockets, black wool shirt and a weapon holster with some sort not normal looking gun in it.

Willow had been couped up in her hotel room with Allan Quartermain for a while and she had to admit she was plagued by the thought of her parents telling her to go away without them even after having days to think about it. "Yeah, General," Willow agreed.

"Listen, kid," Fury said.

Willow looked away from the window to stare at the General.

"I know this is tough on you. If we're lucky today you won't be on your own any more. I am guessing that your friend Buffy wouldn't mind coming with you at least for a while. If we can get her to give SHIELD what information she has then we can arrange things so you could go home soon. But it all hinges on us finding her. Fortunately the lead we have on her in Seattle has solidified greatly. We have the photos of her and the witness statement made by one of the nurses that one of the two girls that were delivered to an emergency room mentioned to the other that Buffy would come rescue them. We'll stake out the hospital and when she shows up we will apprehend her and together you and I will convince her to give us what it is she is being hunted for," Fury explained.

"Sir, excuse me, but I have to ask. Do you know who is after Buffy and me?" Willow asked.

"We have intel pointing in two directions. It looks like two terrorist groups are independently looking for her. One of them called AIM hired the people who tried to capture you. The other one seems less active so far sticking with watching instead of acting. I am afraid they must have some idea that Buffy might be in Seattle because over the last few days electronic surveillance in the Seattle area has confirmed the presence of several high level mercenaries with known ties to AIM," Fury explained.

"Okay," Willow said and wondered if Buffy's being hunted had anything to do with her Slayer past or if it was something new. Willow had in the past repeatedly pressed Angel for more information but hadn't really gotten anywhere with him. She had known Angel was withholding things about Buffy from her, and now she regretted not forcing the issue.

Outside they climbed above the skies and the engine whine grew. Unbelievably the jet increased its speed almost making Willow feel like they were taking off again. "Wow," she said.

"Stark Quinjet technology we could even overtake a regular fighter jet right now," Allan said with pride in his voice.

"Okay," Willow said only recognizing the name of Stark Industries a tech company home to the man, who she was sure vastly outdid her intelligence wise: Tony Stark. She had hero worshipped him after his recent revelation that he was the new technological super hero nicknamed Iron Man. In her opinion that exonerated him for being a part of the military industrial complex.

----------

"Esme," Xander called out. He had just finished his mandated physical training and he was scheduled to meet Mystique to train for his next undercover job. But he had half an hour to spare and so he had decided to go look for his new friend with benefits.

He turned and ended up in a different room than expected. It was the cavernous and quiet office of Magneto. The elderly man was sitting in a padded metal chair staring at a fancy looking hologram hovering in mid-air. The picture was of the Earth with several red dots glowing all over it. Magneto turned his head slightly casting his steely eyes towards Xander.

"Come in please," the elderly man said just as Xander was about to beat his retreat. He had barely known the man for weeks and already he respected Magneto more than anyone other than maybe Giles.

"Sure," Xander said and edged inside. He expected his leader to say something but the room remained silent as he stopped to the left of Magneto and the holographic globe.

Finally Xander said, "What does it show?"

"Military facilities, American Military facilities. I had considered destroying one of them as retribution for what was done to you and the other we freed. But I am unsure. What good would it do? The government might just hush it up. And really unless those men and women there had participated in something akin to Neverland they are not yet our enemies," Magneto said.

"Is there anyway we can find someone responsible? A backer? Someone behind it all? Wouldn't that be more of a statement especially to those who did this?" Xander said.

"Yes as a first step. That was good suggestion Xander. Someone in government knew about all this. I believe Mystique and a few of the other new recruits will be able to find something or someone for us to strike at. But it will only do as a first step. We need to grow Triage, both as a group and as a cause," Magneto explained his eyes back on the globe.

"Yeah," Xander agreed not really sure what else to say.

"But a discussion about that is for a later date. I have tasks for everyone in the meantime including you. I cannot send you to the US yet. Your appearance on TV is still too recent, and I think even if your level of training is somewhat lacking, you can be of great help to our brotherhood already. So I want you, Pyro, Avalance and Toad to go to Great Britain and make contact with a mercenary group of mutants that I believe would be willing help replenish our finances and might even join our efforts outright. Toad will be your leader for the trip. Triage, I want you to keep an eye on Pyro and Avalance. I do not want any upsets while you are there and unlike you I don't trust that they will be able to contain themselves even while working undercover. There are many hidden factions of power in Europe, so for now let's hold off opening that front. You'll leave tomorrow. Also you should say goodbye to your girlfriend. She'll leave for her mission while you are away or maybe earlier depending on Mystique securing her transport," Magneto said.

"Thanks," Xander said and felt glad at the thought of being able to do something for the cause. He totally forgot to tell Magneto that he and Esme hadn't really formalized their togetherness as a relationship of any kind.

----------

The Blackbird X-Jet gently switched to hover mode and they descended into a cordoned off area that looked like it had been bombed recently. Kitty knew that outside in the clear day all that would be visible of their arrival would be dust thrown up by the Jet's exhausts otherwise they were covered by the holographic projections that kept their aircraft unseen.

They unbuckled in silence. "What are we going to do about transportation from here to the hospital," Kitty asked glancing at Kurt who shrugged. Buffy released the quick snap on her seat belt and got out too.

"Wolverine was told to fix us up with something," Cyclops answered. His red visor glowed slightly in the gloomy cockpit as he looked out over the sights outside. Kitty moved up and looked out with him.

"Wow, Seattle looks like a bomb site," Kitty commented.

"Buffy's handiwork," Cyclops replied. Buffy winced.

Kitty looked over at Cyclops in surprise then over at Buffy who seemed to be studying the damage herself. Buffy had never really talked about how strong her powers were. They had just assumed them to be powerful enough to merit coming to Xavier's. Kitty had never figured on them being enough to level buildings.

"Logan is here," Cyclops as the leather jacket clad mutant appeared out of a van that had just parked just outside the ruined area.

They got out of the aircraft and Logan waved them over. Kitty felt a little self-conscious running around in the full light of day in a tight black leather suit so she walked to the van as fast as she could. "This is ridiculous," Kitty berated herself as she was half-way there. She had nothing to be ashamed about. The uniform was tasteful and practical. Besides hadn't she just a few hours earlier been happy just to be allowed to wear the uniform. Kitty slowed her advance on the van slightly and let herself become comfortable in her clothes.

"Get a move on, you're in the open and there are people in town looking for unusual people and her," Logan said while pointing at Buffy.

"Right, just head for the hospital," Cyclops said.

"Are we talking plural?" Buffy asked as they got inside.

"You and Charlie didn't tell her, that was stupid," Logan said with a glare in the direction of Cyclops.

"Not now Wolverine. Yes, Buffy there might be other people here looking for you, which is why we moved the schedule up and brought both Kitty and Kurt. They will make sure we can get in and out without any trouble," Cyclops said.

Buffy looked a bit nervous for a moment, "who's here looking for me?"

"Guys with guns and power armor," Wolverine replied ignoring the annoyed look on Cyclops' face.

"Listen they shoot to kill if it is who I think it is. You should let me go alone," Buffy said.

"No, that is not how we do things," Cyclops cut Buffy off, "We will work it like this. Kurt will move you up to the girl's room, so you can get them ready. Kitty will get to you using her power and together with her and Kurt you'll come straight back here. Those guys won't know anything is happening by the time we're done. And Kitty and Kurt I want the both of you to stay in radio contact with me the entire time just in case. Should a fight develop Wolverine and I will handle it, you three will stay out of it and guard the girls."

Kitty noted Buffy was about to say something but the girl sank back after thinking for a moment. Their van rumbled through the Seattle downtown traffic.

----------

"Okay I normally would never bring a civilian into the field, but I am pretty sure you're my best chance to get your friend to talk to me Willow," Nick Fury told Willow as the armored 18 wheeler headed through downtown traffic. Willow almost didn't hear the General as her eyes kept getting distracted by the loads of super-advanced computers and the five agents the general had brought along, who were strapping on body armor and weaponry that Willow had never even suspected existed. The sheer amount of widgets and gadgets was almost making Willow giddy.

"We scout the hospital location where your friend was spotted, then set up base at a nearby federal building until we spot her. This might take a while so we will be staying in some improvised rooms in the federal building," Nick Fury said.

"Do we have time wait for her, she might not even come back sir," Allan said and ran a hand through his stark blond hair.

"I will supervise for a short while, but if the surveillance lasts more than 3 days I will leave it and Willow to you Allan," General Fury said.

"Okay," the agent said as they drove up and parked in a lot just across from the hospital.

"Sir, a minor note from Listening Post Washington, latest computer analysis indicates that atmosphere disturbances point to the likeliness of a very high speed stealth aircraft is 70 percent likely to have crossed the continent a half hour ago almost outdoing a Quinjet at full speed. The analysis also indicated that touch down could have occurred somewhere in the Seattle area," one of the agents Willow didn't know the name of reported.

"Check with the imaging offices see if one of the birds snapped a shot of the UFO and remember if it is alien SWORD has jurisdiction," Fury said.

"Alien?" Willow gave the general a surprised look.

The general sighed and nodded. "That's just as secret as the other stuff you read, so don't tell anyone."

Willow agreed with a nod and a smile.

"We're ready to deploy, sir," Allan said.

"Uhm, Allan if Buffy sees wearing all that gear, she'll run and probably won't come back. I think I should go with you," Willow said after studying the heavily armed agent.

"Willow this is a field mission, there is a chance that some of Buffy's terrorist enemies are waiting too. I cannot allow you to put yourself into the line of fire," General Fury said.

"You're a general I don't think you're not supposed to be here either," Willow said.

"No, but I at least know how to defend myself. You will stay back, my agents will handle any initial contact you just be ready to provide them with information and maybe a voice that your friend can hear over the radio. In other words for now you're staying inside the truck with me," General Fury said.

Willow nodded not sure if she should be annoyed or relieved.

----------

The beaten up old van Logan had brought to the party eased into its parking spot, but Buffy was more worried about what was about to happen. She had been a bit unclear on how the very sweet Nightcrawler was going to move them into the hospital, so she had asked a moment ago and he had answered, "Teleport us."

"Are we ready?" Cyclops asked. Kitty nodded and together with Wolverine she jumped out of the car and headed for the hospital. Cyclops looked toward

Kurt took hold of her in a close hug and said, "Take a breath." There was a moment of darkness and fire and then a bang as they appeared somewhere else. Buffy felt weightless, they were free falling outside windows then there was another abrupt and disturbing shift in her perception of as they teleported again.

Buffy dropped to the ground and fought to keep from vomiting after they touched down in the room where Dream and Singer were recovering from the attack according to Wolverine.

"Fraulein Buffy, we have a problem," Kurt said in his German accent.

"What the hell was that. We were outside... falling. Why?" Buffy complained from her position on the floor.

"Ach, I needed to have a look at the room before taking us inside, but really there is a problem," Kurt said.

Buffy fought against her rebellious stomach and got up to look around. The room was empty. The beds in the room where Wolverine had claimed her girls were in, were empty. "Did we get the wrong room?" Buffy asked.

"Nein... I mean no. It is exactly the room that was pointed out to me," Kurt said then activated the radio headpiece he was wearing to tell Cyclops what was going on.

"Stay here, tell the one-eyed Big Brother, I went to see a nurse," Buffy said and headed for the door. The room looked like it had just been vacated. The beds were unmade.

Buffy walked into the hallway looking around. There was a nurse desk down the hall and no police guard in sight. Buffy quickly walked to the desk. A nurse looked up at her and frowned.

"Back so soon?" the nurse asked.

"Soon? Never mind. The girls that were in that room back there, have they been released or something?" Buffy asked.

The nurse gave her a confused look. "Are you making a joke? I just let you and that Social security guy take them out of here. You just left," the nurse said.

Buffy was confused, "Excuse me, but huh?"

"Buffy," Kitty yelled and the brown haired girl ran up next to her.

"What?" Buffy asked as Kitty pulled her back from the desk and whispered, "there is a dead police man in the bathroom of the girls room. He was shot with something weird maybe a laser of some sort."

"Oh no they won't," Buffy said and turned to dash towards the elevators. It sounded funky but somehow someone had faked her looks and was making off with the girls. There wasn't a moment to spare. Buffy dashed for the elevators.

----------

"Sir, something is definitely up. Sensors indicated two tiny explosion a moment ago and our tap into the Hospital computers indicate that the two young females we expect Buffy Summers to come by to meet have been prematurely removed from the hospital by a social worker. There is no such action planned by the Seattle City Social department," the technician next to Willow said after several windows had popped onto his screen in short order.

"Quartermain, get your team out there I want those two girls in SHIELD protective custody as of one minute ago," Nick Fury ordered.

Willow meanwhile studied the camera images from outside.

----------

Morris was glad the job was running smoothly as he watched the cameras their forward scouts had placed in the hospital looking for their target's return. These included several mounted outside. He saw the target having somehow avoided their sentries running to the third floor nurses desk from the bait's room on one screen while on another a combat ready SHIELD team emerged from a nearby parking lot. "Team leader this is Camp, both target and SHIELD interference is confirmed. Target is on the sixth floor. SHIELD tactical team advancing rapidly on main ER entrance suggest egress along route two," he said into their radio.

"Acknowledged," the teamleader said. "Primary team, assault and delay SHIELD. Agent K-972 and K-345 head to the elevators to my location, we will go up to negotiate the surrender."

"Acknowledged," several other people intoned.

----------

Kitty's voice appeared in Scott's ear, "Buffy is running off after whoever took the girls. I don't think I can stop her. She looks angry, she is already sheathed in her flames."

"Okay, follow her and try to keep her safe. Shadowcat, Buffy has no field training so you have to be careful and try to help her the best you can," he said.

"She seems less nervous than I am," Kitty mumbled.

Scott turned and was about to call out to Logan when he saw a group of SHIELD agents head along the side of the trauma center building carrying fancy rifles and surveillance gear. Wolverine had already ducked out of sight.

"The boyscouts from SHIELD are here too. We really need to put the screws to the kid, that bunch doesn't appear because of drugs or a couple of mutant kids," Wolverine said as Cyclops came within earshot.

Cyclops considered their options. While he didn't figure that the people who had taken the girls were other SHIELD agents there was a chance of that being the case. Either way they were not allies of the mutant community, SHIELD was someone the X-Men watched closely. They knew that SHIELD would be a major part of any attempt to fight a mutant war and a great part of the money in the budget for the mutant fighting technology that the humans seemed hellbent on developing went to SHIELD.

"They're not the same as those that were here earlier. Different weapons, different armor, so it is not SHIELD the kid is running from," Wolverine said.

"Is there a back way out," Cyclops asked.

"Yeah," Wolverine replied.

"I'll cover this side, you go there and hurry," Cyclops said. Both men nearly jumped out of their skin when Nightcrawler appeared behind Wolverine.

"Don't ever do that again elf! Do you want to feel my claws?" Wolverine growled.

"Just go," Cyclops said. Wolverine had barely gotten up before there was a small explosion that blew out the entire entrance of the ER just as the first SHIELD agent rounded the corner.

Scott took cover and surveyed the scene, while Wolverine sped off.

"Ach nein, fighting at a hospital. We must help the patients," Nightcrawler said.

"Try to evacuate as many as you can move safely to the furthest end of the Hospital. But remember to scout that before going in and hurry we won't have a lot of time before more SHIELD agents appear," Cyclops said and gave him one from his pocket. Nightcrawler nodded and disappeared with a pop and a black sulfurous cloud of smoke.

----------

Buffy was using old methods with new powers and she knew it might go wrong, but still she jumped over the banister and let herself drop down the shaft in the middle of the stairwell free-falling for a few moments before turning in the air and firing off her flight power like Storm had taught her. Thankfully it worked the first time. But Buffy wasn't thinking about taking insane chances or using Slayer methods with her mutant powers. She was entirely focused on rescuing the girls. She might not be the Slayer anymore but all the Slayer skills she had trained with Merrick and Giles that hadn't been pure instinct were still in her head. She stopped at ground level firing her energy down to stop herself and fought to hover before she managed to make a wobbly landing on the stairs slightly lower than the ground floor and had to run the last bit up to the door ignoring that her landing had cracked the concrete stairs.

"Buffy wait," Kitty yelled way above her. Buffy looked up and saw that Kitty was quickly making her way down but phasing through one floor at a time. Buffy decided she couldn't wait. She dashed through the door into complete chaos. Patients, relatives, nurses and doctors were running around in the halls and there was sharp noises of gunfire in the air, gunfire like that which had killed her dad. Noises suddenly vivid in Buffy's mind. She had repressed and avoided thinking of the traumatic moment of her dad's head exploding all over her for months, avoided facing her pain and loss if not the anger or the actual memory. Now it was impossible. A cold anger like the last time she had been in Seattle came over Buffy and her fire filled the air with stark white light. Her clothes fluttered and her hair danced in the air as she ran forward.

"Move," she commanded and people jumped out of her way as she rapidly made her way down the corridor to get at her enemies. She had to remind herself of the damage she would do to the building if she tried to really fly, because for a moment she was tempted to do just that. A tiny voice in the back of her mind wondered how much would be left of the building if she radiated her power out like an explosion.

----------

"The tactical team is under very heavy fire. This is a potential hostage situation as well sir," the technician told the General and Willow was impressed that he actually dared to tell the black and very angry General anything at all. Fury grabbed a big rifle and a communication's device.

"Broadcast a bulletin on the A channel," Fury said and ran out of the vehicle.

The technician grabbed a plastic chip card with a big red A on the side and inserted it in a slot in his computer, while the door slammed shut. Willow looked at the many camera screens trying to find out what the hell was going on.

----------

Wolverine picked up the scent of rare elements, active power cells and ozone before he saw what he was looking for. A group of two people one looking like Buffy but a foot or so taller and the other dressed up like he was some sort of everyman, but Logan could smell the equipment their clothes concealed and it seemed the girls they were kidnapping weren't as fooled as they were supposed to be. One of them, Dream he believed she was named, was resisting, pulling and yelling to get free. The man stopped and slapped the girl still in bandages hard across the face.

Logan picked up his speed. He was not a nice man. He got angry easily, but it seemed that nothing really ticked him off as much as people hurting kids. He decided it was one of his redeeming features. Almost unbidden his claws erupted through his skin and with a massive roar he lunged forward.

----------

Buffy turned a corner and almost stepped right into the back of a man in a ridiculous beekeepers outfit in bright yellow. He was crouched behind a desk and saw busy firing out into the reception area of the ER. There were dead people on the floor, nurses, patients and even a little girl dressed a princess costume. Strange blue and orange bolts of energy were exchanged with someone hunched outside the blasted entrance area. If Buffy hadn't been beyond pissed off already, she would have literally burst on fire seeing that. Facing a scene of carnage Buffy felt something of her old nature reemerge while some of her principles faded for a moment and she gave herself over to anger.

Especially against the guy in front of her. Buffy leaned forward and performed the best snap kick to the man's back she could make her non-Slayer body do, turning and leaning forward as the kick progressed to put her entire weight and force behind it. She struck him heel first in the back.

Had Buffy's strength been human it would have hurt. Had it been boosted by Slayer power her heel would have penetrated the man's back. But Buffy's strength was neither. It was mental power, driven by her mutant mind, it was telekinetic and so it had a different effect. The AIM agent plowed through the wooden desk reducing it to fragments and continued like he had been launched like a rocket passing through the reception and the destroyed outer doors moving faster than a speeding car. Buffy meanwhile didn't even care that her kick might have killed its target. She was already focused on her next target.

Another guy in yellow was fighting to turn his huge weapon towards her. Buffy acted and focused the power that filled her at every moment of every day now. She unleashed two columns of white roaring power. The shockwave and white fire carved a four yard diameter hole straight through the building taking her target outside through several walls, launching a good chunk of the hospital with him out into the parking lot.

Buffy felt something cold press against her head and a nervous voice said, "Don't move, don't even blink or I will blow your head off. You're coming quietly or those kids buy the farm." Buffy realized that somehow her shield of fire wasn't as instinctual as she had expected.

----------

Wolverine felt the warm blood of his opponent on his hands even through the leather of his gloves and a large part of him gloried in the feeling of it. He pulled the claws through the man's chest the ever sharp edges passing through flesh and bone with ease. The girls were not happy, but they hadn't fled yet. The street was complete chaos from people fleeing the main hospital building and his nice little scrap. He turned towards his other target and saw that the Buffy look alike he had wounded first had run up the street but no further that he couldn't run her down. But the rational part of Logan knew he didn't have the time to follow the bleeding fake. He had two girls to try and herd to their van, which would have been hard on a good day, but near impossible given what they had just seen him do.

"You two are coming with me," he commanded trying for intimidation.

Both girl whimpered and pulled back against the wall. They were looking for a route, a way to dash away from him.

"Listen you knew that wasn't Buffy. I can take you to the real one," he offered, but it made no difference they were still edging back towards a nearby alley.

"Die mutant," someone yelled behind him and a powerful jolt of something akin to electricity hit Logan. On instinct Logan dodged right. For a moment Logan couldn't feel anything in his left side. It arced all along the wall after passing by him. Logan stumbled forward and grabbed the two girls. He dashed with them in his arms towards a gap between a couple of the hospital buildings. It would take him around to the parking lot.

The arcs followed them as several bursts were fired off in their direction. Logan caught a glimpse of the Buffy lookalike with a strange gun in hand who was firing at them. Logan heard one of the girls tell the other, "Singer, please share the bad song with her."

Logan heard a distant noise in his head not his ears, it sounded atonal and disturbing. The arcs stopped following them and there was a scream filled with both pain and fear. Logan carried the girl through the opening and emerged onto a path that gave him a view of the parking lot. There was a ripping explosion and a man in an AIM uniform was propelled through a concrete wall by a white torrent of fire. The yellow guy slammed into a car and was covered in dust and debris which just missed burying a big black guy in a SHIELD uniform. The AIM agent slumped unmoving. Logan for a moment thought he had seen the black guy before and even felt almost like he had seen that guy in a situation like this before. But then one of the girls wriggled and the concrete dust obscured the black guy who had been staring back at him rattling Logan out of his deja-vu.

"Cyclops I have the cargo!" Logan yelled.

Several of the SHIELD agent who had been ducked next to the entrance looked in his direction. There was a wide red blast of energy and the agents were slammed against the wall. Several smaller rapid red bolts followed pummeling the SHIELD agents unconcsiou. Logan could not hear what Cyclops was yelling to him as his sensitive ears were momentarily ringing from the roar of the blasts and their impact. But Logan decided Cyclops taking shots at SHIELD had been the signal to leave.

----------

Willow was studying all the screens because she had noticed the technician seemed more focused the screen showing the General who had gone to join his agents. Willow thought it was a bit careless of a General to go into battle, but somehow she figured the SHIELD field agents appreciated having a leader like that.

She saw something unexpected but not unwelcome on one screen. One of the cameras covering the backside of the Trauma wing showed Buffy limping along. She looked hurt and beaten. Willow knew that there was no one available to go fetch Buffy, but all the fighting was on at the front of the hospital so she figured she could safely run over and get Buffy to come back to the truck where they'd be safe. The fact that it would also be a big step towards Willow and Buffy getting back home was not lost on Willow either. Willow left without noticing the blinking light next to the com console where the chip card had been inserted.

----------

Buffy was trying to figure if she could give off a blast of energy without blowing holes into other rooms where there potentially were patients. She was already afraid that her earlier blast might have hurt more than the terrorist from AIM. "Well do you?" the terrorist said.

There was a loud bang and a bright scarlet flash followed by several more from the front door.

Suddenly the touch of the gun disappeared and Buffy ducked right and turned to face her opponent only to see a weird scene. The AIM guy was twitching and his limbs moving in angles that a human body couldn't handle. He was being held down by a winded looking Kitty.

"Funny thing about phasing through power suits and electronics stuff like your gun. It kinda kills them," Kitty said. There was a ghastly crack from the foot of the man as his power armor twisted it in an angle not even a contortionist would emulate.

"Thanks," Buffy said. The guy in his no longer functional armor tried shooting Kitty with the arm that wasn't bent at an odd angle, but the gun only made a few sparks. Buffy walked over and calmly kicked the man so hard he flew up and embedded himself into the wall ass first. He stopped struggling with his out of control armor after that.

"Cyclops says Wolverine has the girls, but we need to leave immediate," Kitty said listening to the earpiece she wore.

"We head for the van?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, Cyclops says we can go out the front," Kitty replied and they ran out through the smashed up reception area, past knocked out people in blue sci-fi gear that Buffy had no idea who were and towards their van. Nightcrawler appeared midway there running along the top a car and then disappeared again in a puff of smoke. The van rocked slightly making Buffy guess he had teleported inside. She meanwhile fought to disable her aura. There was a distant roar above them but it stopped. Buffy wondered about it as she slid inside and smiled as she was met by two girls jumping over to embrace her.

----------

Willow ran in the direction she suspected Buffy had gone. There was a noise high above that she didn't recognize. She spotted Buffy her sleeve and left side covered in blood.

"Buffy stop! I have a safe place for you. We'll get that looked at too," Willow yelled.

Buffy turned and pulled something from her right pocket. It looked like something of a cross between a gun and a tuning fork.

"Buffy, it's me. Willow," she yelled. A roaring noise approached her from behind.

Suddenly Willow felt her entire body jolt and she passed out for a moment in pain. She fell onto her back and saw something gold and red flash by her eyes. There was a loud bang and a sound like gravel raining on the pavement. Willow fought to get up, but her muscles wouldn't obey her. At least the pain had stopped.

There was a roaring noise and then the sound of metal on stone. The noise became metallic footsteps approaching rapidly. Willow felt strange almost like she was slowly gliding on her back down a black hole the sky above getting increasingly distant and blurry. A blob of gold and red slid into view and she heard a distant apology, "I am sorry."

----------

"Check for someone tailing us, there is sure to be something. They might also try to track the Blackbird later. We can't let SHIELD tie this to Xavier's," Cyclops said.

"Nothing yet," Logan said as they drove carefully through the Seattle traffic making sure not to draw undue attention.

"Nemo... I mean Buffy, is it really you this time?" Singer asked Buffy.

Buffy smiled and made her eyes glow, "It is."

"Dream look it is her," Singer told her sister who rolled her eyes like she had known all the time that Buffy was who she said she was.

"That was total chaos back there," Kitty replied.

"Yeah, what a mess," Buffy agreed.

"We're not out of it yet, kids," Wolverine said eying something in the rear view mirror.

"There was something strange flying around back there. I didn't get a good look, but it was carried by rockets of some sort," he continued as the van turned off the main roads towards the warehouses near the abandoned rails where their jet was parked.

"I'll keep an eye out, you focus on driving," Cyclops said and turned to look out the window.

----------

Nick shook off the last pieces of cement and yelled, "Assault team report in!"

There was a crackle on the radio, but all around him pained voices replied by groaning. "We're present and accounted for sir. If more than a bit worse for wear. There might still be hostiles inside," Allan Quartermain reported after staggering up from a thorn bush growing next to the outer wall which he had been thrown into by the red blast coming from an ambusher in the parking lot. Nick got up to a crouch and tried to see if their attacker was dumb enough to show himself.

There was nothing moving in the parking lot.

A familiar roar and a clang announced someone Nick was happy to hear. He turned and saw Iron Man walk resolutely past the SHIELD agents headed for the entrance. "Excuse my late arrival. I had to take care of a wounded girl," his robotic voice announced. The man in his powersuit turned and faced the plasma and explosives scarred entrance way to the ER. He walked inside.

The SHIELD agents shook of the shock of the red blasts of them slowly and while two covered the parking lot and one of their comrades who needed medical attention Nick directed two other to go around the hospital and try to catch other attackers. He hoped there weren't a lot of casualties. He knew the only reason neither press nor police had come yet was that he had ordered his technician to cut off all emergency phone, cell and radio communication in the area temporarily. He needed to get this area secured and swept quickly because before long word of mouth would bring the press any way. And SHIELD needed to be gone by then.

"General Fury to Emory. Order in more support troops from SHIELD Northwest and tell them to call in some FBI Counterintelligence officers we're going to need witness statements. Also I want you to send the video feeds out to the Carrier for analysis. I want to know exactly what happened here," Nick said.

"Sir, the civilian you brought. Miss Rosenberg. She ran out to rendezvous with the target. However the target shot her and Iron man had to intervene. She looked wounded," Emory reported back.

"Fuck.... Link me to Iron man immediately on channel six and I want the line encrypted no listening in," Nick said.

"Yes sir," Emory said.

There was a click noise as Nick changed his radio channel and said, "Tony, what happened to the civilian you rescued?"

"She was shot by some sort of overcharged Disruptor gun. I disabled an AIM agent in a chameleon suit shooting at her, but it was too late. I brought her to a different ER. I can't tell you how she is though. It looked bad. I am so sorry. I failed her. I was a few seconds too slow," Tony Stark said.

"No I failed her not you. I should never have brought her here. That girl is a witness under federal protection. Or she was supposed to be. As far as I can tell everyone in her life has turned from her or betrayed her lately. And now she gets shot on my... on our watch. She... I will have to go see her immediately when this is over," Nick said.

"Wait a moment, there are more targets inside," Tony said and the line was cut. Nick changed back to the main SHIELD channel.

"Fury back online," he announced.

"Sir, North west reports a full tactical squad on the way in a hover transport. They're asking if they have weapons release," Emory said.

"They have full weapons release on AIM targets only. Brief them on the target we were trying to acquire and tell them to detain her if spotted. Also alert the Airforce. I want any sign of that invisible vehicle's reappearance checked by some Raptors," Nick said.

There was a dull boom noise and part of the hospital shook. Nick began running. Iron man had engaged whatever enemies were left inside and Nick didn't want to watch from the sidelines.

----------

Buffy and Kitty strapped in the girls and then got into their seats. The sleek black jet took off vertically and quickly started gaining speed. Buffy looked outside watching as Seattle disappeared below.

"We have company up here," Cyclops said.

"What?" Logan asked.

"There are two F-22s in the air. Let's hope the upgrades Hank came up with work or we'll end up in a firefight. This time we don't have Storm around to throw tornadoes at them," Cyclops said pointing at a radar screen.

Buffy turned to Kitty, "Last time? Does this happen a lot?"

"No, but there was this incident several months ago, the President was attacked and he got angry so when the government found out a group of mutants were flying around in an unregistered high tech jet they tried shooting the Blackbird down. There was a firefight and everyone aboard nearly died. Rogue got blown out a hole and Kurt had to get her back by teleporting and Storm scared the crap out of everyone by throwing instant tornadoes at the Raptors on their tail. In the end they got shot down anyway but Magneto caught them. Not out of the goodness of his heart, but because we had Kurt and Jean aboard. He needed them to find and stop the guys that had arranged the attack on the President," Kitty explained.

"Okay, so then the obvious question is who is Magneto?" Buffy asked.

"What? You don't know who Magneto is? But he's been on the news several times," Kitty said.

"I've been kind of distracted by some other crap for a few years. Who is he?" Buffy asked.

"He's a mutant that hates humans. He is afraid that they'll try doing to us what the Nazis did to the Jews in World War Two. But instead of trying to build bridges and making things better he's trying to make his own army and get ready for the war he is sure is going to happen. He's officially considered a terrorist a lot like someone from Al-Quada," Kitty explained.

"Oh... I've never to focused on history and stuff. I'm all about here and now," Buffy muttered feeling weird for not having heard about something that sounded like she should have heard about.

"Buffy, back there. Those guys were there for you and I recognized them from the archives. They're AIM, a group of scientists and weapon dealers up to no good at all," Kitty said.

"I know," Buffy replied. There had been fighting and trouble. People at the hospital had been hurt. Her dad had died. And she was keeping secrets from people who had just been in battle for her and the girls. She felt a bit rotten. Besides she found that having not kept her old secret from Xander and Willow had helped her, so maybe not keeping secrets now was a good idea. The X-Men knew about AIM so then maybe they could give her a safe place to be. They already knew so they were already in danger. She could tell them. Buffy felt her body relax from some tension she hadn't even noticed.

"Okay when we're back at the mansion I'll tell you everything. But I want Storm and the Professor to be there too. And there is gonna be stuff I'm gonna tell you that you won't want to believe but it is all true," Buffy replied.

"Good," Logan replied having apparently been listening to their conversation from afar.

----------

Over an hour since they had secured the hospital, more than an hour of doctors working on the pale red head he could see through the observation window. Nick was there officially because Willow Rosenberg had a head full of national secrets. But he knew that wasn't the truth. He liked the quiet and brilliant girl. He had liked her since meeting her. He had sensed a relentlessness in her when he had first met her. And while she lacked the strength and athleticism needed for a SHIELD field agent she nevertheless reminded him of one of his recruits. A door opened next to him Nick recognized the face of Tony Stark in the reflection in the glass.

"How are things going?" Tony asked.

"Too early to tell me apparently," Nick replied not trying to hide his impatience.

"I know the guy on the left. He's one of the foremost experts on neurological damage on the Western Seaboard," Tony said.

"Yeah I had him flown in," Nick replied, "why are you still here?"

"Why are you?" Tony asked.

"Guilt. Her getting hurt is just as much my fault as it's her own. Besides her parents seem to care about as much about her as they do for their houseplants. I actually had this vague idea that I wanted to recruit her, when she was older. That girl is probably the most talented computer hacker my security department has ever seen. If we hadn't been looking for a breach we would never have detected her and that is saying something. She's a bit like you except for the billions and the bad habits," Nick replied.

"Really," Tony said and studied the girl inside.

Nick noticed that one of the doctors left the room and a few minutes later he came in to see them.

"General," he said looking worried.

"Just the facts Doctor," Nick said.

"The weapon has destroyed several major nerve paths in that girl's spine. She'll never walk again and it will take a lot of therapy to restore full motion in her left arm. We're trying to rescue what we can but most of the spinal damage is beyond surgery," the doctor said.

"I understand. Thank you and your team for their hard work," Nick said. The doctor nodded and headed for the door.

"Doctor, is the damage confined to her spine or does it extend into the legs?" Tony asked.

The doctor stopped and gave Nick a questioning look as if to ask him if he should answer. Nick nodded.

"The weapon what ever it was grounded out through her lower spinal area and completely destroyed the nerves there but the nervous system extending out into the extremities look like it's intact," the Doctor replied and left after Tony turned back to studying Willow.

"Nick, if you'll authorize this I'd like to have the hospital send me all records on the damage to that girl's spine," Tony said.

"Sure, but why?" Nick asked.

"The weapon that AIM used on her is a Stark design that Obidiah sold them," Tony said and waited for a while. "I think I can use some of the Iron Tech to give her some mobility back maybe even full function," Tony said.

"If you need parts or money just give me a call, I'll hide it in my budget," Nick replied.

"That won't be necessary. Listen I think we should let her recuperate with a good nurse. I'll have to work from New York in connection with the Avengers project for a while so why don't I lend her my house in LA for a while. Jarvis and Pepper will take good care of her," Tony said.

"I'd like to have one of my agents look after her as well. Just so that she won't lack company or protection," Nick agreed.

"Perfect," Tony said and soon after left.

Nick put a hand against the glass as he watched the doctors and nurses finish their work. "I'll make it alright again kid," he said before leaving too.

----------

Buffy shuffled into the upstairs lounge usually occupied after dinner by just the teachers at the school. Now it contained them and on Buffy's request Kitty as well.

"Alright," she said and sat down. Buffy had just seen to Singer and Dream, who had been welcomed to the school by the other young kids there and who had at least seemed very happy.

"You do not have to tell us anything. This is your choice," the Professor said.

"I know, but I want to," Buffy said and wondered if they were going to send her off to the asylum later. She noticed Logan was standing looking out the window, while everyone was sitting around waiting.

"I guess I should start with the basics. My name is Buffy I'm sixteen and I'll be seventeen in a few months. I grew up in Hemery that's in Los Angeles, but last year my mom and I moved to this town called Sunnydale. And when I was barely fifteen an English guy turned up at my school and told me that I had a destiny. Capital letter like Destiny. I was the next Chosen One. I guess most of you won't believe this but magic and monsters are real," Buffy said.

"No way," Kitty said.

Xavier and Scott looked doubting. Kurt looked thoughtful, but both Ororo and Logan had very unexpected reactions. Logan looked over his shoulder at her with a lifted eyebrow not in disbelief as much as to study her, while Ororo looked sorry.

"I was the next in line to be the Slayer. The Vampire Slayer. You see there is one girl, who is the Slayer at a time. She's given mystical mojo by destiny or fate or some such. Anyway she can kill vampires and keep them from killing people, making too many new ones and ending the world. There is actually all sort of monsters that a Slayer has to stop but vampires are the worst. They're like rats," Buffy explained.

"You're the Slayer," Ororo said and walked over to sit next to Buffy.

"No, not anymore. I became the Slayer at fifteen. And you stay the Slayer until you die. Just this May I fought this powerful vampire... He kicked my ass and drank a lot of my blood. Then he left me to drown in a puddle of water, but my friend Xander brought me back with CPR. We defeated the vampire, but not long after that the Slayer power left me. I had actually died for a short time in the puddle. Some other girl is the Slayer now," Buffy said.

"She is delusional," Scott said. Buffy gave him a glare.

"I'm not," she reiterated.

"She's not," Logan agreed.

"Huh," Scott said.

"I've fought vampires and demons before. And I am sure they weren't just ugly mutants," Logan said.

"I am descended from a line of sorceresses. I've seen magic performed both in Cairo and in other places," Ororo said. "I have also heard the legends about mankind's great protector," she continued and gave Buffy an admiring look. "In Tanzania it is said that the Daughters of Sineya are chosen from the purest and strongest females in this world, those willing to fight and destined to win. They are the lonely warriors in the darkness and many ancient people sing the praise of the Slayer each day the sun comes up because she has kept the dwellers in the dark from stopping its return."

Professor Xavier studied both Logan and Ororo for a half minute then turned to Scott and said, "They are telling the truth. Go on Buffy please," he said.

"I was the Slayer for a while... almost two years. After I died it was strange. As a Slayer you're stronger, faster, tougher than most vampires and even some demons. And you can fight with any weapon using any technique you're taught or study a little. You need less sleep which is good because the night is when you have to fight. I used to go out and try to walk around near graveyards and the like looking for new vampires or trying to look innocent to attract older ones. That is I got to do that when I wasn't trying to stop some sort of plot to end the world... Which literally did happen. Twice. I think," Buffy paused and sighed. She was dredging up memories painful and bittersweet times. Merrick and Giles caring and careful mentors both. Willow and Xander injecting light into the dark of her life. Angel stalwart and worried, beautiful but distant.

"Then suddenly that power was gone I felt weird almost as if I had lost something I wanted to keep, which honestly I really didn't. Being the Slayer is a guarantee that you'll die young. I was a bit out of it so maybe that was why I thought that. I had died... So my mom sent me to my dad in LA. They're divorced. I had a few happy days then I stumbled across the fact that my dad was the lawyer for AIM or a company that is a part of that. They were making a deal with something called HYDRA an even worse group of psychos. They were transferring weapons in the Middle East, really advanced stuff and my dad had set it all up so that no one would find out. I found the evidence and confronted him. But they had the house bugged. Suddenly they I mean AIM came running in, shooting. We, my dad and I, fought back. I didn't have my mutant powers then. We still won though. My Slayer powers were gone, but I remembered all my training. We were about to escape and they blew my dad's head off... It sprayed all over me. I just can't forget that part. The bits were all over me. I can't remember if I was angry or sad then but my power broke out and suddenly I was flying... Well after I had reduced my dad's house to dust and rubble," Buffy said.

The room remained silent.

"I woke up and I remembered my dad earlier had told me that anyone I told was in danger, so I ran away. I didn't go home. My dad's house had blown up so my mom had to think I was dead I figured as would my friends and other people that knew me from my Slayer days. I decided on a whim to hitchhike and that's how I made it to Seattle and met the girls," Buffy explained.

"I see. And you're telling us now because they're here safely?" Xavier asked.

"No, I'm telling ya, because you already know about AIM and HYDRA and stuff like that right? So it was finally safe to tell someone," Buffy said and felt like a slight weight had left her shoulders.

"Right," Scott said his voice held a new tone of trust that Buffy really liked to hear. All around the room the faces were filled with sympathy and what she could only hope was the seeds of trust. It all convinced her that she at least had made a good choice in telling everyone. It had felt good too.

"So you're combat trained from your time as a Slayer," Xavier said.

"Not in any sense that will make it easier to use my powers, but the entire chaos of combat, improvise because the plan goes out the window when you meet the bad guys deal, I know that part. I guess with a bit of a refresher I could fight hand to hand as well. I might not have the Slayer knowledge thing but it seems from time to time like I can react like a slower version of who I used to be the past. My aim sucks compared to the old days, but I guess that might improve too," she said.

"If you were worthy to be chosen, you must certainly have the innate talent in you to be a great warrior. If you want to, we can tap into that in the Danger Room Buffy," Ororo said.

"I guess. I can't say I want to go back to fighting for my life every night, but for self-defense I'd train. I guess those AIM guys might not be giving up any time soon. Oh and to avoid blowing up more warehouses I'd like to know my powers better," Buffy replied.

"Then let's do that. Buffy why don't you and Kitty go eat? I want to discuss a few things with the teachers," Xavier said.

Buffy nodded and the pair got up. They walked out into the hallway.

"You were really this badass vampire killer and now you're stuck here at the mutant high geek production facility," Kitty said.

"Badass? There was no fun involved. Well not much. Besides this place is better than every high school I've been to until now. If I had my mom and friends around I wouldn't give two hoots about seeing Sunnydale or having been the Slayer ever again. But I still can't tell my friends or my mom. So for it's Xaviers for me. You know I still hope my mom would be proud if she knew all about me," Buffy said.

"One day it will have blown over and it'll be okay for you to tell her. You can bet the Professor will begin checking for that. He's like that," Kitty said.

"Should I tell everyone else?" Buffy asked.

"I would stick with the last part about AIM and your dad. The other thing might not be something for general consumption," Kitty said.

"Probably not," Buffy agreed.

----------

"She's more of prize that we thought originally," Storm said.

"This Slayer thing is a big deal then," Scott said.

"Legendary, there are secret societies existing only to protect the Chosen One, volumes of prophecy about her and no complete account on how many times a Slayer has saved the world from being cast into Hell. If Buffy was chosen by the Goddess to be a Slayer she is a person of great integrity and we should be thankful to have her," Ororo said.

"And having been a Slayer you can be sure she knows how to both fight and kill. And I don't believe that she will have lost as much of that as Buffy seems to think. Skills and instincts like that don't just go lost. They become a part of you like memories," Logan replied.

"You know about Slayers too?" Scott asked. He often wondered how far and how long Logan had wandered in his life. Logan ignored his question.

"Do either of you believe she is dangerous to the children?" Xavier asked.

"What? No, she would never be a danger. The Slayer is a force for good," Storm said.

"Buffy's a person. She's sure not the type to let anyone die on her watch, but to anyone here... No not unless someone tries to do something monumentally stupid," Logan agreed.

"Fine, I want to move up her Danger Room training and we'll start including her in team scenarios as soon as she has mastered basic control of her powers," Xavier said.

"I think you have to be careful with her. She might have battle fatigue," Logan said.

"What?" Scott asked. Battle fatigue was something you saw in soldiers who had been on the frontlines of war.

"Yes, she has probably fought every night for the last few years and she's not exactly old. The Slayer I met was practically suicidal. She took chances like she had my powers. Buffy seems to be in a better shape. But she's died once. She shouldn't be training real battle scenarios for a while," Logan said.

"That's very sensible thinking Logan," the Professor said.

"Just looking out for the students," Logan muttered and turned towards the window again.

----------

Xander leaned back from the kiss and felt like he was supposed to gasp for air. He felt hot and he was sure that he was starting to sweat. Esme smiled. He was about to run his hand up under her short tank top when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll just blow, whoever it is, brains all over the floor and be right back," Esme said.

"Go away!" Xander yelled and hoped that it would work.

The door opened and Magneto strode in. "Excuse me," he said with a indulgent smile on his lips. "I must interrupt but Esme your transport has arrived early."

Esme glanced at Xander. Xander sighed. He knew he had fallen hard. That overly beautiful brilliant telepath has quickly become his everything. She barely had to look at him and his heartbeat a happy dance in his chest. Along with the fact that Toad had promised to get one of their allies in LA to send a note to Willow and Buffy things were definitely improving for him.

"I have to go," Esme said after Magneto had left. She grabbed the pre-packed bag. "We'll pick this back up when I am done with those deluded fools in New York," she said.

"Good luck," he said and they kissed.

"I really have to go," Esme said after breaking their lip lock.

"See you soon," Xander said as she dashed out the door.

"Life's treating me better for once," he said and checked his watch. He had training in a few hours. They were leaving for the land of tweed and afternoon tea in a day or two. He was getting pretty good with his latest trick: selectively disabling parts of the body and the transfer was getting faster too. He figured he'd soon be able to heal his teammates using the life energy of their enemies in the middle of a battle. But until he had other things to do maybe trying to focus on his training would take him mind off of Esme and her long term mission.

----------

Willow looked up at Helen her nurse. They had explained everything to her yesterday. The screaming and her first temper tantrums since she was a kid was behind her. She was now sullenly lying in her bed and was about to use her only working arm to feed herself. She had only been treated to the pitying look of a nurse for one and a half days and already she hated every time it happened. Worst of all was that there wasn't any way for her to get rid of all that pent up anger. She wanted to hit something. She wanted to scream. But she also didn't want to make a scene again.

There was a knock on the door and General Fury strode inside.

"So mistreating your nurse already or is it too early for that," he said and unceremoniously dropped into a chair near the bed.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have left the truck. But I thought I could get to Buffy. I never believed she would shoot me," Willow started crying. She still couldn't understand how her friend could do this to her. She was crippled for life. She knew that the only feeling she had in her heart for Buffy now was hate.

"Buffy didn't. Iron Man took out that one who shot you. It was an AIM agent wearing a special kind of suit allowing for a limited form of shape changing. We have her in custody. She'll be tried by a tribunal as a terrorist within a few weeks. No your friend seems to have fallen in with a very different crowd. We got hold of both AIM and hospital surveillance that confirms it. Buffy Summers is a mutant and she has joined a mutant underground group calling itself the X-Men. No one knows much about them, except that they're incredibly powerful even capable of reaching past our best defenses and speak with the President within the White House in person without anyone on his security detail realizing it until later," Fury explained.

Willow felt the pain in her heart lessen for a moment. Buffy hadn't shot her. It had been a trick. Buffy was a mutant. Then she wondered how she could have missed both Xander and Buffy being mutants. Buffy had never revealed having any other powers than the Slayer powers.

"Willow, I want you to know. SHIELD is taking full responsibility for you now. I've arranged for your recuperation at a very special location near Los Angeles," Fury leaned forward and took Willow's hand.

"Willow. Look at me," Fury commanded.

Willow blinked away her watery eyes and looked up at the black man that now more than ever seemed like a giant to her.

"Do not give up hope. We'll get you back on your feet. I am not out of tricks just yet," Fury said.

Willow was about to say that the doctors swore she had no hope, but she stared into the convincing and sincere eye of the general and nodded. "I trust you," she whispered. And for the first time in a long while Fury smiled.


	8. Days that matter, day 1

**A/N:** I had originally planned to post more than one chapter this time, but time wouldn't allow it and so I am releasing this one. It is un-betaed and might have many missing words and bad grammar. This is the first of a sequence of three chapters that make up the next sequence in this Slayer X plotline.

**Days that matter, Day 1**

"Focus on hitting the targets, Buffy," the electronic voice of Professor X echoed through out the Danger Room. Buffy had to admit though had anyone had the time to ask then she'd have admitted that she wasn't focusing on what the disembodied voice of her teacher was saying. She was way more focused on herself. She was trying to give off energy bolts from her hands and hover in a not too wobbly fashion. Doing that and trying to not glow like a small star was taking all of her concentration.

"Buffy!" the professor yelled.

"I'm busy," Buffy ground out and nearly launched herself into the metallic roof as she lost her focus for a moment. Her bolts -- that had been hitting two reinforced targets just not dead center -- went wild and hammered into the walls denting them.

"Buffy!" the professor yelled again. "We're done for today," he said.

Buffy immediately cut off her streams of energy and slowly descended gliding down coming to a rest on the floor.

"Sorry," she called out after checking that her training clothes hadn't been damaged. A few weeks ago she had nearly blown off her clothes. And she had to make due with regular clothes because she didn't rate an X-man or rather X-girl costume yet.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Buffy. It was a training exercise in you using your powers while not giving away your position and I haven't given up on the concept either. Anyway it was still just an exercise and we'll keep at it. Meanwhile I can tell you that your energy sheath ran at nearly half light output for almost the entire time so it was a measured success," Xavier explained. Buffy wasn't sure if he was like that with everyone but to her his way of teaching her was like a more formal version of Giles and it was providing her with some welcome reminders of her past.

"I guess I am just not used to have to practice for a long time to learn anything like this. Half a year ago anyone could have shown me a martial arts move and I would have gotten it down faster than Bruce Lee. But I remember cheerleader training so..." Buffy called out.

"Quite so. Lunch is in half an hour see you there," Xavier said.

Buffy nodded to herself and headed for the door. She wanted to shower first and get dressed in something a lot less athletic.

-------

"Take a deep breath focus on your fingers. You can feel them, now slowly try to make a closed fist, Willow," Hector her physical therapist intoned. Willow did as she was told. There was finally progress. Her left hand twitched slightly then two of the fingers tried closing while the three others only shook.

"And relax," Hector said. Willow let out a breath and watched her hand relaxing.

"That was excellent. It is looking like you'll have full use of your hand in a while," Hector said.

"Really," Willow said and smiled. It was good news.

Hector smiled. "You're a hard worker and the nerves seem to be functional," Hector explained.

"I've been practicing like you told me to," Willow babbled and looked around for her training diary.

"I hope you haven't been overdoing things," Hector said.

Willow immediately shook her head, "No more than 3 times a day." She promised.

"That's good, we..." Hector was cut off by a red headed woman striding in talking on a cell phone.

"Welcome Miss Potts," Jarvis' disembodied voice echoed in the cavernous living room.

"No, sir, I just don't think that buying a high rise building should be something you do on impulse," the woman Willow thought of only as Pepper said talking to her boss the man who had lent Willow her current home: Tony Stark.

"Our time is over for today so I'll head off, have a nice day Willow," Hector said and got up. Willow smiled and waved goodbye. She reached down and put her right hand on the control stick for her wheel chair.

"Yes, Tony I'll tell her, bye," Pepper said and turned off her phone.

"Hi, Pepper," Willow said. She was not starved for company. She lived in a house filled with electronic wizardry and a basement lab she had no access to, being helped day in and out by an AI called Jarvis and visited every day by Pepper Potts Tony Stark's personal assistant. Outside a couple of SHIELD agents usually patrolled. She just yearned for her parents, her friends and that visits even from Pepper or her therapist both whom she liked, did little to help that.

"Good morning Willow. I've got a few new skirts for you to try on and a message to you from my boss. He says that he is coming tonight and he is bringing General Fury and some gifts for you. But that's not important," Pepper sat at the dinner table and Willow turned and drove up to it.

"How is your training going?" Pepper asked.

"I'm getting better. The numb feeling is gone. I can feel when I touch things and I can almost make my fingers move like I want them to," Willow reported.

"Show me," Pepper said with a smile while buttering some toast. Willow nodded and did.

-------

"Try to look tough will you," Avalanche shoved Xander a bit.

Toad quickly turned around and grabbed Avalanche by the collar of his brown leather jacket. "Listen lay off or I will let Triage fuck you up. You think you're tough now. Triage could kill you and Pyro without breaking sweat. He is playing nice because he - unlike you - is acting like he is in an elevator heading up to meet with one of the biggest players in Britain."

"It's fine, Toad, ignore him. I do," Xander said with a smile. A few months together with Pyro and Avalanche had hardened him and they both knew that he could knock them out or kill them, if he wanted to. His range and drain speed was getting a lot better with practice.

"No he is dancing on my last nerve. For weeks now he has been getting us into trouble. I swear if Magneto hadn't told me to bring you two as muscle I would have done with Triage alone," Toad complained. Xander hid a smile. He and Toad had become even better friends and they practically knew everything about each other. Their shitty upbringings, embarrassing middle names, everything except Xander hadn't told Toad about Willow and Buffy and the entire year of being Buffy or rather the Slayer's male cheerleader, because of what happened to Jesse.

"Game faces everyone," Xander said when the elevator doors slid open. They strode as confidently into the room as they could. Toad went in front, while Xander, Avalanche and Pyro walked behind him. They had entered directly into the private lounge of a wealthy noble and business family the Cassidy family and its leader Black Tom was seated at the far end of the gloomy room at a very large wooden desk his face with its black beard lighted only be a single lamp. Xander sensed someone else seated in a large couch just to the right of the desk, but couldn't make him or her out in the darkness. Outside the street lights of London glimmered.

Toad walked up to stand near the table. It wasn't the first time their trip had taken them to a strange location. They had been around Europe and there had been very few street level meetings most of their contacts preferring either backrooms, ancient buildings or something akin to this room. Xander looked around as Toad did the introductions. He spotted several instances of old art, swords and a medieval armor, pictures and other things that had a certain Dark Ages theme about them.

"So you're the racists that are trying to start a war," the accented voice of the black bearded man carried an angry tone that immediately made Xander turn his attention away from the decorations.

"We're getting ready to defend ourselves. Humanity will turn against us. They are already moving their forces into position, but certain bleeding hearts in their and our own society keep us from seeing the truth and rallying together. Mankind fears us for a reason. It is because together we are strong enough to defeat them and claim a homeland, a safe place for all of us. Magneto," Toad was interrupted by an angry scoff.

"Magneto, here it comes. I had hoped you came to me with something of value, but it can't be come from him. Magneto is as much a racist as the humans you just cried my ears full about. I won't be helping you, you're not a help to me or my family," the man Toad had earlier named as Black Tom Cassidy said.

"Don't you dare insult Magneto? We know what your power is. You don't frighten us," Pyro yelled and conjured two fireballs into each of his hands.

"Cain my friend, would you mind?" Black Tom said glancing towards the figure in the shadows.

The figure rose, his first step rattling the room slightly. "You're leaving punk," A huge armored figure stepped into the faint light. He walked forward and grabbed Pyro. Pyro fired a burst fire into the man's face. It had no effect.

Toad stepped forward, "Listen we'll leave. Just..." He put a hand on the man's arm.

"I said get out!" the huge figure grabbed Toad and in one flick of his wrist flung him through the windows. Toad's tongue shot out and wrapped around the huge man's wrist. He responded by releasing Pyro and hammering his fist down on the tongue. Toad disappeared into the space between buildings his tongue flailing as it was numbed by the blow. The huge figure turned ready t to advance on them.

"Into the elevator," Xander yelled and ran for the doors.

"I'll hold him off," Avalanche replied and held his palms towards the floor. There was a thunderous roar and thousands of cracking noises. Then the entire floor shuddered and erupted in a wave of splinters and debris. Both the huge figure and Black Tom disappeared as the mess fell to the floor under them.

"THIS WON'T STOP ME. I AM THE JUGGERNAUT!" the voice of the huge man roared from below while Xander pressed the elevator button. A large hand slapped onto the edge to the section of floor still left for them to stand on. Pyro jumped forward and projected two streams of fire from his sleeve devices.

With a heave the Juggernaut lifted himself up onto their floor. "Triage!" Avalance yelled.

Xander focused on the Juggernaut and pulled at his life energy. It flowed strong, but the large figure was unperturbed. To Xander's surprise the Juggernaut's power was strong enough that the transfer was visible in the air. An angry red writhing tentacle of energy flowed to Xander.

"That tickles," Juggernaut replied, but didn't attack.

The elevator opened and Xander, Pyro and Avalanche backed inside. The Juggernaut lurched forward. Avalanche fired off his power again and the giant again disappeared out of sight falling to the next floor down. Pyro pressed the button for the lobby. The elevator started moving. They were all feeling anxious as the elevator accelerated.

After several very long seeming moment with Pyro pacing and Avalanche staring at the ceiling constant the elevator doors slid open.

"We've got to contact Magneto," Pyro said as they hurried into the lobby.

"We should look for Toad first," Xander said.

"I am the senior member here. We...." Pyro was interrupted by an explosion like impact. The elevator doors buckled and a puff of dust blew out of the opening. A pair of big hands grabbed the doors and pried them open.

"We're not done yet," Juggernaut said.

Xander didn't look where Pyro and Avalanche went. He just ran for the closest door.

-------

Buffy headed for the dining room. The kids were already seated and the teens were arriving from their classes and study sessions. Kitty who had been in a math lesson with Scott waved Buffy over to sit next to her and Rogue.

"So how did it go today?" Rogue asked and pulled some of her long hair behind her ear.

"Oh, you know some progress and a few new dents to the Danger Room," Buffy said. She noted that Jubilee and her new best friend the telepath Esme were whispering and snickering about something across the table. Esme occasionally cast stolen glances towards Buffy. They didn't like each other. Esme had made it clear she felt Buffy was sanctimonious and full of herself, while Buffy felt that Esme was pretty much a version of Cordelia without the core of honesty. But she was alone in her dislike amongst the students, because everyone else had taken to the extraordinarily beautiful girl with the intense charisma almost instantly. Buffy also suspected Esme had somehow turned Jubilee against her, because the girl who had until recently spent all her time with her, Kitty and Rogue now seemed to only appear in public next to Esme.

"Peter is staring again," Kitty reported. Buffy knew that Kitty's ex was interested in her and the huge Russian hunk was not someone that Buffy would turn down, but so far the boy had kept his distance and Buffy had yet to feel like making a move on herself. She wanted to swear that it wasn't because she was hung up on Angel but that was exactly the problem. She still dreamed about him occasionally.

"Good, let him stare. If he doesn't say something soon, I am gonna need some sort of willing sacrifice to use for some sort of vengeance dating," Buffy said and piled some rye bread onto her plate. It was a favorite of the Professor and Buffy had found a liking for the sour dough in her time here. While buttering the dark bread Buffy made sure to look over and wave to Singer and Dream when they looked up from chatting with Artie or one of the other rugrats. Both girls were finally treating her a little less as their mother, and Buffy was thankful in a way that the responsibility for their care had been lifted from her shoulders.

"Peter is just shy," Kitty said.

"He could roll a tank into a ball with his bare hands. What is he afraid off?" Rogue replied. Both girls had become Buffy's close friends now and while they weren't as crazy close as Buffy had been with Willow they were more than acquaintances already.

"Maybe that Buffy could blow him to smithereens no matter what kind of steel he is made off," Kitty said with a teasing smile on her lips.

Buffy -- who had been chewing her bread -- swallowed and said, "Like I would. I think he needs to get off his ass and come talk to me instead of it always going through Bobby to Rogue then to me. I want him to pitch some woo or whatever. I can't even try and make him envious. There are no other eligible boys here and I am so not gonna perv on a teacher."

Kitty blushed and lightly slapped Buffy across her arm, "Don't say it out loud, he'll hear you."

"Oh no, of course not," Buffy replied now with her own teasing smile on her lips. Kitty had fallen into a full blown crush on Logan their PE and martial arts trainer after he had started giving Kitty private martial arts lessons. Logan wasn't the type to even look twice at the girls he was teaching, so Buffy felt that Kitty was wasting her time, but the girl wasn't a quitter and swore she'd find a way to convince the mysterious older man of her worth.

"Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, the Professor figured out that if I don't contain the light energy I give off when I make my attacks but shift it I make heat instead of shockwaves or light," Buffy said.

Kitty's eyes narrowed for a moment in thought then said, "Makes sense in a twisted way. Temperature is basically a question of movement on a sub-molecular level. Has he figured out what the purest expression of your energy is?"

Buffy nodded, "He says that it is the... kinetic energy because it comes most naturally to me. But he thinks there may be some pre - eh - prestage I think he said. Yeah. Some deeper base form of energy that I am producing then he went off on some ramble about me possibly making pure psionic bolts of energy and how that would only damage living tissue. I really didn't understand any of it."

"I get that from him too. We start getting into how my power works and it's all auras, psionic energy transference and then I have to ask him to repeat it back to me very slowly," Rogue agreed.

"At least my power is basically just applied physics through mutant power," Kitty said.

"Kitty, you're no better than him. I bet you'd have understood him," Rogue said. Kitty just shrugged.

They ate and talked like they did every day.

-------

Xander felt like his chest was on fire. He was hiding or trying to anyway. He could hear the earthshaking steps of the Juggernaut nearby. Of all the moments do it Xander missed Esme. The meeting had not gone well he concluded. Xander worried how he'd explain what had happened to Toad to Magneto. The two had seemed friendly to a degree.

"There is no point in hiding," A voice roared and a heavy footstep told Xander that the Juggernaut had followed him onto the building site.

Xander wondered how he'd handle that huge monstrosity that was hunting him. Nothing seemed able to hurt him so far. Toad was somewhere back there maybe dead after a fall from very high up. Pyro and Avalanche had disappeared during Juggernaut's arrival in the lobby. He had made it all the way through several streets. He had been so sure he had shaken off his pursuer but now he was cornered in a fight with a guy who could ignore his power.

There was a loud tooth jarring noise and something large and square passed by overhead. A steel girder implanted itself in a wall only a few yards behind him. Xander wondered what he should do. He had tried draining Juggernaut earlier but it had been like trying to empty an ocean. He needed to find an escape route and a phone.

"There you are," the voice roared and the footsteps grew faster and closer. Xander got up and faced the armored figure charging at him.

Xander took a breath and remembered the many times he had done something like this while trailing after Buffy in some graveyard. Vampires had always been big fans of the running charge. He jumped left at the last possible moment just as the Juggernaut lowered his helmet to ram his head into Xander. The huge figure passed by him and thundered towards the brick wall that already had a girder implanted in it. He heard the annoyed grunt of the huge man.

But Xander didn't wait any longer than it took to get back off the ground or look at what happened behind him. He just ran towards the street as fast as his legs would carry him. He needed to find a car or something similar. He could hear the police coming, but much worse was the feeling that the Juggernaut had already turned and was charging in his direction again.

"Triage, this way," Toad's voice called out. Xander looked down an alley and saw his comrades together. Toad's greenish skin had an undertone of purple from his deep bruises. The other two just looked winded.

"You escaped more or less intact," Xander whispered. "We need to get out of here. I don't think that the Juggernaut is far behind me," Xander kept his tone of voice a whisper as he spoke.

There was a low vibration at first only felt through their feet than ever more obvious. There were several loud cracking noises and then suddenly a cloud of brick dust spread in the air and Juggernaut smashed through a low brick wall at speed. A police car which had just pulled onto the road. The Juggernaut stood in the street looking around, while ignoring the police car. Xander ducked into the alley and everyone along with him crouched down.

"Think we can take him?" Pyro asked.

The policeman in the car slammed the breaks, but apparently Juggernaut had a different plan. Juggernaut smashed into the police car which crumbled up like it had hit something massive head on. He then proceeded to take hold of what remained for the car on each side of him and tear it in half.

"No," Toad said.

"Let's get out of here," Xander suggested. Toad nodded silently and they headed back down the alley away from the sound of more sirens and the sound of gunfire.

-------

"I'm gonna go do my usual afternoon thing," Buffy said and left Rogue and Kitty who were like her supposed to be on their way for a history lesson.

"Just go get turned down quickly. Ororo is tired of you being late to class," Kitty called out.

Buffy ran up and knocked on the Professor's door. "Come in Buffy," Xavier called out.

"How do you know its me every time?" Buffy asked as she stepped inside.

"I might not be able to read your mind, but with your power I could sense you coming from across the continent without using Cerebro," Xavier explained.

"So it's time again," Buffy said.

"Buffy please sit down," Xavier said surprising Buffy. Usually she stated her request got turned down and was back on her way to class.

"Okay," she said and walked over to sit in one of the many chairs in the office that doubled as a class room for several subjects.

"I've been thinking about your request. I think you're right, but I've been worried because as much as I believe that you and your friends can readily handle going out I cannot defend letting the younger students loose on Salem Center. And I do not want to create tension at the school by only letting the older students go. However an opportunity has opened up that I want to use. I was contacted by several non-profit organizations and community groups in the area asking if I'd let them come here and ask you to volunteer for some of their groups. And I've decided that while I don't want to do that, I'll let students sign up for volunteer tasks. Every volunteering student would then be allowed several hours after their volunteer work to go shopping, interact with other youths in town and so forth. That way no one is envious at the privileges afforded the older students, those in need get some help and you get to go down into Salem Center. Of course only students that aren't on some sort of probation and who I can trust not to break the secrecy surrounding the true nature of my school will be allowed this, but I am sure you've already figured that out," Xavier explained.

Buffy almost sighed, but decided not to. It was not perfect by far but at least it would give her a chance and maybe she'd get the chance to try some sort of fun volunteer thing. "That sounds excellent Professor," she agreed.

"Now get to class Ororo is waiting for you... Ah and Buffy I wanted to say something else. We're all glad you're here. You're doing well and your grades are fine," Xavier said.

Buffy stopped and blinked. She still wasn't used to the attitude of the teachers and staff at Xavier's not even after this long. Months now she had been expecting the other shoe to drop but it hadn't and she was almost as comfortable here as elsewhere. All she wanted in life was her old friends, Angel and her mom to be around and she would have been walking around smiling so widely her face would probably have cracked. She fought back the sad feelings that welled up in her after thinking that and headed off for her class trying to focus on her home work which was something about some author named Salinger but she wasn't sure what exactly. She hoped the notes she had made last night were still good.

-------

Xander followed Toad and Avalanche inside. Pyro was acting as their rear guard. They didn't expect that Juggernaut guy to find them again, but they were all feeling that it would be better to be safe than sorry. Their most recent hideout was a simple red bricked house in a long row of houses. It's garden was mostly dead now as Xander had pulled in the life energy to heal his mates, but otherwise it was not different from any of the other houses along the road.

"Does Black Tom know about this place?" Avalanche asked.

"I don't like running away," Pyro complained.

"What would you rather have done? Juggernaut is immune to your fire. Triage can't drain him fast enough to kill him. I couldn't even slow him down. Avalanche is our best bet and he could still only slow him down. Juggernaut is out of our league and let's not forget we're also not supposed to have some sort of huge fight in the middle of London to see if we can piss off more of the people we've spent months talking into giving us money," Toad replied.

"I know. You and Triage keep telling me every where we go. But if the deal with Cassidy is off then what's our next move? Are we going back to South America?" Pyro asked.

"Yeah, we've done what we set out to do," Toad agreed.

"So Triage maybe your hot girlfriend is back. Or even better she has come to her senses and decided to let someone prettier and smarter step up," Avalanche suggested.

"What you? I doubt you even apply as Homo Superior," Xander replied.

"Boys! Stop now. I am tired of your crap. Now keep a watch just in case Black Tom knows about this place, while I make contact to Magneto and check up on our plans for the near future," Toad said.

"I'll take first watch," Xander said and headed upstairs figuring he'd have a better view from one of the upstairs bedrooms.

-------

The weather outside had turned gray and dull which to Buffy meant it fit perfectly with the subject at hand. They were about to have a lecture on Mutant issues by Scott. It was about of their social studies and debate lessons. They had done it a few times already, but today was apparently one of the bigger shows. Scott was supposed to arbitrate as the class divided in two and argued either side of the mutant divide. However that confused her. Buffy was pretty sure she wasn't on any specific side at least not to her knowledge.

"Okay, you all think you know the issue we're about to discuss today. At the very core of this is why Homo Sapiens and Homo Superior currently seems to be headed for confrontation. We'll start the debate in a moment. I will be conducting the debate which means that you only get to speak if I tell you to and if I say so you'll stop talking. Okay everyone on the right side of me represent the human perspective, and everyone on the left you're going to represent the mutants," Scott said and sat on the desk.

Buffy leaned back slightly. She had never really prepared herself to care passionately about bigger political issues aside from who was most popular in school when she was younger, and how to keep the world rotating when she was the Slayer. Now everyone around here had some sort of opinion on the Mutant matter except her. Even Logan, who usually seemed like he could care less about anything except the people he liked, had talked about it to them during one of his grueling gym lessons.

"Let's reflect the real world and let the humans state their case first," Scott said and glanced towards them. That moment of hesitation that always followed when a teacher expected initiative from the students turned into a longer silence.

Finally Kitty, who sat just next to Buffy, said, "Well, it is clear why we have issues with the mutants. It's pure biology. We're made to afraid of things too different from us. We really can't help it. Those mutant frighten us with their strange freakishness. Our reaction is based in fear, primal and simple."

"Ah, but that is just a small part of it. Are you all slaves to these emotions?" Scott argued back.

"No, it is of course more than that. And individually we can be convinced, but there is the other thing. We're afraid that to befriend the mutants is to turn a blind eye to a much bigger problem. The mutants might be the next evolutionary step and a lot of research indicates that a subspecies with superior abilities will eventually destroy its competitors in the same niche. So while we are still many more we must act to purge or at the very least act to control that threat. That's only fair, after all no human can level buildings with the power of their mind. There is already many mutants that could," Kitty argued.

Esme's hand shot up. Scott nodded, "It seems we have our first reply. Esme go ahead," he said.

"So because humans are afraid of change or something obviously better than them, their only possible response is to act out in violence. So you concede that a war is inevitable," Esme said. Buffy for some reason noticed that her eyes seemed almost gloating as Esme said that.

"No, of course not," Bobby argued immediately before pausing and putting his hand up.

"Bobby," Scott said smiling. Buffy realized suddenly that this was an almost practiced argument. She had heard Bobby espouse the Professor's Dream before and she was sure off what was about to be said, because she had already heard it three times or maybe more. Personally she was not so sure about it all working out as neatly as laid out by people like Bobby.

"It doesn't have to go like that. Yes, we are afraid. And the mutants are angry. Some with good reason, but many only because they feel some sort of collective anger over the fact that some mutants have been persecuted. We don't have to go down that path again. Once the USA had droves of slaves, black men, humans treated like cattle by other humans. But then their plight became known and they were freed. Progress from there has been slow and racism widespread, but instead of both sides giving in to anger and hatred to the point of fighting a war, calmer heads have prevailed and a war of race was averted. Why should we look on those that will inherit the Earth from us in hatred. We can coexist, maybe forever, maybe not, but neither group need to be split apart. Mutants are all the children of regular humans and will be for a long while to come. Mistakes have been made on both sides already, but they have not been condoned by the mainstream on either side. A war is not inevitable yet. If we keep talking. If we agree not to misuse our power technological, political or superhuman then we can work together to create a lasting peace. A peace between parent and child, between humans," Bobby said.

Buffy looked at him. She thought of her mom suddenly. Buffy didn't know how her mom felt about mutants, but Buffy knew how she felt about her mom. She could never go against that feeling. But she worried that she would one day stop caring about other people. Still a single person might be her enemy but she doubted it would ever be all of humanity as one group. That wouldn't make sense. She had saved the world with her blood and sweat as the Slayer and that meant all that lived in it. All natural things deserved to live. And so that meant to her that Xavier's Dream was the only pragmatic solution even if it was put forth by idealists and dreamers. If it could be made to work everyone could live. She wondered if she could stick to the letter of its intent, but she decided that she admired the sentiment.

"That is just complete crap. Parents and children. We have kids here thrown out of their houses just for being alive. Mutants get attacked and killed by racists every week. Mutants can often not even go get the most basic health care if their mutation is obvious. Mutants are victims of acts of pure evil like getting pulled off the streets thrown into cages and experimented up by mad scientists which the government then turns around and hail as brilliant later on. We get screwed over and you want us to turn the other cheek and take it. To talk and talk to you even if we know that you on the other side is already smart enough to realize that there is no way this will have a happy ending. I don't say I support terrorism or racism, but I sure as hell think we have the right to defend ourselves even if the government considers people who do that vigilantes or worse. We need our fighters too. We need the X-Men," Esme argued. Buffy noticed Scott winced as if the words were close to home, but skewed. Buffy figured he didn't expect the younger kids to see the X-Men as part freedom fighters too. She had to agree a bit with Esme though. They needed people willing to fight not just evil mutants but the humans too. And all of a sudden Buffy realized why the X-Men were a good idea and why she should aspire to join just like Kitty and Rogue. She had been drifting along in life since losing the responsibility of the Slayer and then the girls. She had never been aware that she really needed a goal to work towards, but as she decided she'd like to be an X-Men things became clearer. She needed something to drive her.

"But by having freedom fighters essentially the same as an armed force, aren't you declaring a war on us. We cannot stand that. That is why we are making weapons against mutants, that is why we prepare ourselves," Kitty said. Buffy saw a strange glint in Kitty's eyes. She had never heard Kitty sounding like that. It was as if her phrases were different, but Buffy couldn't put her finger on what exactly was different.

"But you already have armed forces, we have to have them as well. We are living beings. We don't want to go silently into the good night. It seems we agree. War is inevitable. And for that kind of fight we need something more than freedom fighters. Eventually we will need true warriors," Jubilee said. Again Buffy wondered why the usually completely uninterested teen would say that. Jubilee had sworn back when she still hung out with Kitty and Rogue too, that she didn't really care all that much about the entire mutant issue. Now she sounded almost like she was ready to go join the man with the weird name she could never remember.

"Magneto. It comes down to him then. You just want to seem like you're alright and peaceful, but secretly you all consider his vision the most likely way. War with us. Then maybe the camps, the agents even the registration act are a good ideas," Bobby argued. Buffy turned and almost gaped at the usually so Xavier oriented boy. He was practically playing into Jubilee's argument there.

"I think we've gotten derailed," Scott said finally breaking the rapidly escalating conversation. Buffy felt like a sort of oppressive presence disappear from the room and she couldn't help from frowning. Something was up. Instincts born from even her short life in Sunnydale was yelling out to her. Something was not right. She looked around the room more to clear her head than to look for something and her eyes fell on Esme. Their eyes locked and for a moment Buffy saw a look of triumph be replaced with angry resentment.

-------

Willow looked at the code once again. It had taken her a lot of time to finish all the homework in science, math and the like that Hannah her private teacher had given her for the day, but she wanted to have the program debugged before her guests came tonight. She had only met Tony Stark twice since he had offered her free use of his LA home for her recuperation, and each time he impressed her with his technical knowledge of so many fields. Well he had needed to before Willow still got totally tongue tied whenever he made a joke or flirted, both which he seemed to do relentlessly. There was also parts of him which reminded her of other people in her past life. He had the desperate drive of a Slayer fully knowing she could die each night, the same dark hurt in his eyes as Angel and Giles and most importantly he had a playfulness that reminded her of Xander. Willow had not admitted her crush on Tony to anyone though. Long story short though her being around Tony only led to technical discussion and so the second time he had met her, she had admitted to being a competent software programmer. He had pounced on that and the conversation had led to many emails as well as Willow and him designing a piece of software to better protect Jarvis the House AI against the new fancy types of cyberattacks that seemed to be cropping up. Willow was planning to show it off when Tony came by tonight.

"Willow, you need to take a break. Your working hand needs to be treated with care for the moment. You've been working for over 4 hours. The guests are underway from the airport and will arrive just in time for dinner in 52 minutes. My firewalls will be quite adequate for a few more days," Jarvis said.

Willow nodded absently. She knew about the arrival time. She couldn't really change to something more appropriate on her own any way. And she had nothing else to do. She compiled the program and started installing it into Jarvis. Tony's masterful and at least ten or fifteen years ahead of everyone holographic user interface appeared and she entered her security password and then the master password allowing her access to Jarvis inner workings. Carefully she tested the latest version of the software on the local terminal to check if it ran then uploaded it into Jarvis. She watched as the system CPU load dropped and yet everything looked right. If she was right, there was no one other than Tony Stark and her that could now access Jarvis because she had through some trickery made it so that only if you could convince him that a network connection was allowed in or out. It had worked for nearly a week that way but it had slowed Jarvis down too much, so she had wired it into his low level functions so it became a bit like a person deciding what was right or wrong based on their morals really. "That Willow I must say works much better," Jarvis said.

"When are they coming?" Willow asked noticing that it was almost getting dark outside.

"Based on Mr. Stark's GPS transponder the car will arrive within five minutes," Jarvis reported.

"Thanks Jarvis," Willow said and shut down her terminal. She wondered if Tony knew that her level of access also allowed her glimpses into the private files still kept at the house including the Mark II Iron Man armor design. She hadn't really looked for it, but rather stumbled across it one day. While her curiosity had fought like a wild beast she had managed to keep from studying the design closer. She didn't want to bite the hand that fed her so to speak. Her electric wheelchair arrived the central living room that gave a dazzling bay view. She sat there waiting. Jarvis had put on some low volume Debussy.

For a minute she sat enjoying the music then the door downstairs opened and the voices of Tony and Pepper approached. "Listen to me sir! Are you sure this is a good idea? It might hurt her," Pepper argued.

"It won't. Besides if it works think of how many we can help with this long term," Tony countered.

They walked into the room and noticed Willow right away. "Hi Willow," Tony said and walked up.

"It is done. I've already installed it into Jarvis," Willow blurted out. She really wanted to impress Tony.

"Really, I'll have to check out your final implementation later, but if you think its good enough I trust that it is. Jarvis what do you think?" Tony asked.

"It is really quite a bit better and the protection seems to run with a minimum of effort applied from me sir," Jarvis replied.

"Excellent," Tony said. Meanwhile Willow saw Tony's driver and the on-duty SHIELD agent bring in a large black box. It was about the size of a man. She wondered what that was for. Behind them appeared the silently and ever brooding Nick Fury, who seemed intent on the box as well.

Pepper moved over to sit in a chair close to Willow. Willow felt immediately that she had become the center of attention.

"Willow I have brought you something that I've been working on together with some of the Stark Engineers. I believe it is a wonderful step into the future and it might also be an enormous gift to you. However you must understand that it is not a free gift. It is untested and you have to be closely monitored while using it. And secondly as it contains technology considered disruptive and highly classified I've had to promise that SHIELD gets to keep an eye or two on you until it is released," Tony explained.

"What is it?" Willow asked staring at the black box. Nick and Tony went to the box and opened it. Inside sat a tiny almost dainty looking metallic mesh. It had a female shape.

"It is a highly advanced form of exoskeleton closely related to what I am using in the newest Iron Man armor. What is even more special about this thing is the power source is located in the lower back section. It is a much weaker version of the arc reactor I use in the Iron Man armor. And well that it injects a few small group of nanoprobes into your back above the damaged section of your spine. Those probes will read the neural signals meant for your legs and translate them into movement of your legs. Given a bit of training of the software in the main processors you'll become fully mobile, capable of walking, running and jumping while feeling and mostly looking unencumbered. The only thing it can't do is to offset the lack of feeling in your legs," Tony explained.

"We wanted you to have this," Nick said.

Willow buried her head in her hands. She was feeling overwhelmed and very warm in her face. She was crying and thanking people. Pepper enveloped her in a hug.

After several minutes Willow looked up and said. "I don't care what happens if it works or not. You two especially you Tony. If you ever need me for anything. I will help you. Anything. I swear," Willow said. She had never felt this grateful to anyone before. The thought of being able to get up and move about on her own was central to everything in her mind at that moment.

"See I told you she'd like it," Tony told Pepper, who just gave her boss an indulgent smile.

-------

Xander stared out at the street. No one suspicious or gigantic had shown up on their street so far. He had not left his post for the many hours he had waited so far and dawn had just arrived.

Toad slipped into the room. "Xander," he said keeping his voice low as not wake Avalanche who was sleeping next door.

"Tolliver," Xander replied. A few weeks ago they had begun using their regular names too. "Did you get hold of someone back home?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, Magneto says to come home. Juggernaut is too big a mouthful for us. For almost anyone if I understood Magneto. Apparently that brute is more invulnerable than that comic book character Superman and could only really be stopped by a telepath or other type of powerful psionic. He said to tell you that he is grateful that you've been such a great help to me. I made sure he knew about all the trouble we've had from Pyro and Avalanche. He knew about that too. I think he has had Mystique look in on us a few times," Toad said.

"She scares me a bit from time to time," Xander admitted.

"I think she scares pretty much everyone except Magneto," Toad admitted.

"And Sabretooth," Xander corrected Toad.

"Anyone that isn't scared of her is just too damn stupid to understand," Toad groused.

"So how do we go back," Xander asked hoping they would have to live in a cargo container again.

"Magneto has arranged for us to go back across the Atlantic in a private jet. Apparently we're not on the most wanted list anymore so we can fly except to major airports with good electronic security. The plane is going to take us across and then down to the Caribbean and from there we're taking a fast boat the rest of the way," Toad said.

"We have to careful. The US is gunning for Magneto. They've even mentioned it in the news so its gotta be very bad in the real world of spies and assassins," Xander said.

"Yeah, but they think he's hiding up North in Canada or Alaska. Little do they know huh," Toad said.

"So we're leaving," Xander stated and found his thought wandering towards Buffy and Willow. He could call them from Europe before they left. Even if there was a trace it would lead to a dead phone line. Toad and Mystique had trained him pretty well in the realities of the espionage world of which they were also apart.

"Yup, the plane for the first leg leaves in nine hours from Heathrow," Toad said.

"Good, listen I am going to go out. I'm going to call a few of my old human friends while any trace they can make is useless. I want to know how they're doing," Xander said.

Toad nodded. Xander knew Toad understood that Xander still had bonds with a few humans that mattered to him even if the rest could just hurry on to extinction for all that Xander cared.

"Aren't you going to tell me to be careful?" Xander asked.

"No, you're not stupid. I've taught you the rules," Toad said.

Xander felt proud to be trusted by a close friend like that and knew that he wouldn't knowingly betray that trust ever.

-------

They had been done with their home work, chores and evening meal for a while now, but Buffy, Kitty and Rogue had decided to go for a long walk and girl talk especially given the tense atmosphere that had existed at the school since their ethics lesson. It was way past their bed time now as they had lingered just outside the school for over an hour on a bench just talking and hanging out. It was so cold that Buffy had suggested they finally went to bed.

"So let me get this straight you managed to get the Professor to arrange for us to go into town and you wait until now to tell us. Are you evil?" Kitty asked as they entered the big hall and headed up the wide carpeted stair case that went all the way up to the top floor.

"No I just wanted it to be surprise. He is going to tell everyone soon enough. And besides all that volunteering sounds like work before play," Buffy almost sighed at the idea.

"Whatever, we can get into Salem Center. Meet other boys than the slim or occupied pickings that are here," Kitty replied.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought you already had a target of your affections," Buffy said.

"I have realistic moments, besides I doubt anyone here could date a regular boy for very long," Kitty said.

"Why not?" Buffy asked a bit confused as they continued up towards their floor.

Kitty gave her a long suffering look. "It is simple really. There is the curfew, the school full of other kids with no real privacy possible and - oh yeah - hello we're mutants," Kitty explained.

"Come on, don't make that into more of a problem than it should be. If you're in love, you're more than willing to overlook your differences. Trust me," Buffy countered thinking of her feelings for Angel and those feelings she had once hoped occupied his heart as well. They walked the last few steps to their floor in a silence and headed left towards her and Kitty's room passing the corridor leading to the other girls rooms.

Rogue jumped out in front of them turning towards her and Kitty while saying. "I think Buffy is right. Bobby..." Buffy noticed a red-orange light from the corridor. A monstrously bright flash blinded her and a small shockwave threw her to the ground. It was so loud that her ears seemed to hear nothing for a few moment. Against the fading light she saw Rogue's outline fly sideways.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. The seemingly untouched Kitty took a step towards the corridor where Buffy thought she saw something move, Buffy let her energy flow fully free thinking only of one thing. Debris and the like exploded around her as she blew through the banister and floor heading down. Below her Rogue was falling towards the floor her eyes closed. Buffy pushed her energy out becoming like a blazing comet. She reached forward and flew into the falling form of her friend. She didn't have time to do much more than cut her propulsion and roll herself around Rogue.

The second impact of the day was definitely worse than the first. Even surrounded as she was by her halo of fire, Buffy still felt it as they plowed into the wooden floor covering some very reinforced concrete below it. The blow shocked her back and it felt numb for a while. She felt like the air was knocked out of her.

Buffy opened her eyes and realized that she was in small indentation in the floor the wooden boards shattered all around her in the consistence of matchsticks. Debris had stopped falling around her. Rogue lay on top of her seemingly unconscious. Fortunately Buffy hadn't gotten up to any real speed because she knew she could penetrate reinforced concrete. Another thing came to mind, she didn't know what had happened to cause the explosion upstairs.

"Urrgh," Rogue said and moved slightly. Then Rogue opened her eyes and immediately yelled, "Buffy let go now!." Buffy realized suddenly that she was holding onto Rogue's upper arms. Above where Rogue's gloves reached. She let go.

Rogue pushed away from Buffy and nearly flung herself across the room. "Your strength. You're so strong. How can you control it so easily. The memories. Death. Killing. One girl in all the world. I am dying. The feeling of peace at the knowledge of your fate. The fear of that fate. Who is Willow? Xander. Giles. Angel. What is all this doing in my head," Rogue babbled turning around the room as if changing which way she faced would change what she saw in her mind.

"Rogue calm down," Buffy said. Rogue ignored her. Buffy ran over and grabbed Rogue by the hands this time.

Rogue stopped moving around and looked at Buffy. They stood like that for a moment then Rogue said, "I think I am okay now."

"Good then you can start by explaining what happened to me?" Logan came running out of a corridor looking very angry. Buffy guessed he had been downstairs for some training given that he was wearing his X-Men uniform.

"There was an explosion, Rogue went over the edge. I had to fly after her to prevent her from becoming a smudge on the floor okay?" Buffy explained.

Logan looked about to say something more but after a quick look around and then up he said, "Fair enough." And immediately started running upstairs.

"Buffy, are you okay?" Rogue asked.

"What do you mean?" Buffy replied.

"You touched me for a while there. Everyone I've touched have not been okay after I touched them. Explainy please?" Rogue said slipping into what Buffy could only consider her dialect.

"Dunno, I feel fine though," Buffy said. Without warning Rogue reached up and ran her uncovered hand across Buffy's chin. It felt just like a hand touching her to Buffy nothing special, she was more surprised that Rogue had slipped her glove off and done that.

"It is like when I touch everyone else. I can feel what you feel and I can see bits of your memories, but still you're okay," Rogue said completely fascinated by that while Buffy was immediately a bit annoyed.

Rogue withdrew her hand as if burned. "Sorry, I didn't want to intrude. I... I just wanted to touch someone without hurting them. It has been years since I could really do that," she explained.

"I know. It's just... I don't want. I don't like anyone to read my mind," Buffy said.

"I know. That's why I stopped," Rogue agreed.

Buffy looked upstairs. She knew Rogue knew things about her now that might require explaining things she had only told Kitty, the Professor and the X-Men so far. She didn't feel like saying anything especially as their teachers, the Professor and pretty much every kid in the school would be swarming the halls at any moment.

"We should look into who attacked us," Buffy said.

"Does it have to be a who?" Rogue replied.

"There is always someone behind something like this, you know this now," Buffy said and then realized it could have been an accident too, but she felt that adding more to the sentence would not sound as urgent. She focused her energy and flew at a sedate pace up to their floor where there now was a nice path through the banister for her to land on the floor.

Logan and Kitty were talking. "I phased through the explosion and search the corridor immediately after. I didn't find anyone. I guess it could have been some sort of side effect from one of the kids having a nightmare or something," Kitty said.

Logan looked around but said nothing.

"Are you sure? I would swear I saw something," Buffy said.

"Very sure," Kitty replied. Logan still said nothing. "Besides all the damage up here is mostly what you did going off to save Rogue's life. The explosion didn't even scorch anything," Kitty explained.

"Well I'd like to know what happened exactly," Scott said running up with a serious case of bed head. Below them Buffy could hear the Professor's voice talking but it was too far away to hear what was said. Buffy thought back. She was certain she had seen something move, but realized that it could have been residual light from the flash of the explosion or something loose in the corridor getting thrown back by the explosion.

-------

Xander was getting frantic as he hung up the phone. First he had called Willow's but her parents only swore that Willow was not there any more and they didn't know where she was any more before hanging up. No one had answered the phone at Buffy's, so now there was only one number left. He dialed and waited while the connection was made finally a familiar voice answered. "Rupert Giles speaking," Giles said.

"Giles, it's Xander," Xander said.

The answer was silence for a while, "How are you?" Giles asked.

"I am about as fine as I can be. Giles I'm sorry about not calling sooner," he said.

"That is not the only thing you have to be sorry about. But I sense that is not why you are calling," Giles said.

"No, it isn't. Where are they?" He asked knowing that Giles would figure out who he meant.

"I don't know for certain. Buffy is on the run from terrorists and Willow is in hiding. We can't talk for long, my line is certain to be tapped," Giles cautioned Xander.

"It's alright, even if they trace me it won't do them any good. I'll be long gone," Xander replied.

"What is happening? What did Willow and Buffy get involved with?" Xander asked.

Giles sighed. "You three's world is different from mine now Xander. You're moving in circles that will lead you to them. I just hope that you won't meet again as enemies. You're doing things neither of them would approve off. The Council has a lot more contacts than your friend Magneto," Giles said.

"I am doing what I think is needed. I have decided not to be bound by rules that mean I have to suffer," Xander replied.

Giles sighed again. "I won't argue with you Xander, but please try to think about what you're being led to do," Giles argued.

"I know exactly what I've chosen to do. Magneto is someone I met, someone who can help me achieve what I feel needs to be done," Xander said.

"So you would condone murder? Genocide. Even mine or Willow's," Giles replied.

"Only if you oppose us. Please don't," Xander said, not feeling all that certain at that moment. He for a moment wondered why Giles hadn't mentioned Buffy, but didn't comment on it.

"If you kill even one innocent you and I will be enemies," Giles said.

"I hope it won't come to that," Xander said and felt a bit sad. "But G-Man you really don't know where they are?"

"Talk to someone who really answer to that title they know," Giles replied and hung up. Xander did the same and pulled out the phone card. He regarded it for a moment then dumped it in the nearby trash before heading back towards the house. He wondered what Giles had meant.

-------

Tony was watching her intently. Willow tried to move her right leg. At first there was nothing then suddenly there was a collection faint metallic noises and her lower leg moved forward slightly. "It'll take some time, but it looks like it'll work perfectly," Tony said.

Willow looked up and smiled. She had put on the exoskeleton as fast as she could and even if Pepper hadn't really approved of Willow testing something that inserted tiny nano-thingies into Willow's spine, Willow hadn't even blink. There had been no pain and she was more than happy about even one tiny results as the one she had just gotten. It had taken her a lot longer when she had been relearning the use of her arm.

-------

Buffy lay down to sleep. Kitty, who seemed a bit restless ever since the incident with the explosion, stayed up. "Buffy," Kitty whispered.

"Yeah," Buffy almost jolted under her covers surprised by Kitty's voice just as she was about the fall asleep.

"What happened to Rogue?" Kitty asked. "She was looking at you all funny before she went off to bed."

"I touched her, I think she's got a segment of my memories of being the Slayer. I guess I'll have to explain things to her in the morning," Buffy replied.

"Oh," Kitty said and fell silent again.

-------

Esme opened her eyes and looked over at Jubilee who was laying stiffly in her bed repeating the suggestions Esme had been working into the half-Asian since meeting her. "Esme is my friend. I have to do as she says. I hate Buffy Summers," Jubilee repeated in a half-whispered voice. Esme disliked having to use a slow and imprecise method of mind control like suggestion implanting. But she was forced to do it or Xavier would have noticed otherwise. Thankfully the Professor had clearly let his ethics get the better of him, he didn't regularly brain scan his students and so he was unaware that Esme was slowly subverting them by implanting suggestions and manipulating the general mood in the school. But keeping it subtle enough for it to seem like gradual changes and not show up on casual scans had been hard. Soon she'd start influencing the teachers. Esme had been given a definite plan and she was following it.

The only problem was the one person aside from Xavier she couldn't manipulate not even a little. Buffy Summers. She had not been accounted for by Magneto and Mystique's plans and even worse Esme had found that the girl irritated her to the point that Esme felt she had begun to hate the egotistical self-righteous Californian almost as much as she did all homo sapiens. Something about Buffy set her teeth on edge. It wasn't just that the girl had an air of superiority that she never put into words, but it was also the fact that she often moped around like her life had been horrible for a long while or that she was being punished for something. Esme had delved into Jubilee's memories about Buffy's life and that little Valley girl had never suffered any hardship remotely allowing for her attitude in Esme's opinion.

So she had made what was maybe her only error so far. The attempt to humiliate or maybe even hurting her using Jubilee's powers had failed when Rogue had jumped into the blast. Jubilee of course remembered as little of her attack on the trio of older girl as did Kitty Pryde who had caught them redhanded just after. Esme had seen to that and had kept a careful connection into Pryde's genius mind to adjudge everyone's reactions afterwards and to make sure the suspicions were redirected towards an accident caused by the kids with all their untrained power rather than Jubilee and through her Esme. The only thing that Esme had to fear at the moment was the Professor scanning deeper into the minds of his students and a suspicion might trigger that.

She lay in the darkness of her room while Jubilee was finally allowed to sleep and wondered again why she had risked the attack on Buffy. It had been a momentary reaction, she had felt on such a high after making the class of mutants argue for war earlier in the day, going a bit further had felt safe. Esme vowed not to do anything again until the fruits of her labor were ready.

-------

In the deep reaches of the Xavier school estate an infinitesimal dot of light appeared and grew silently into an outline of a shape of a woman. A shape that as the light disappeared remained standing. The arrival had been unnoticed by all. The shape was covered in a heavy high tech power armor reminiscent of the Iron man armor only a bit bulkier and obviously female. Energy crackled around the armor and the occupant turned to look towards the sky.

"Determine my location as well as date and time from the stars, Jarvis," Willow said.

"12th November 2008, 23.11 EST, Miss," Jarvis rattled off and followed along by showing Willow a map on her HUD of her location. She was not far from Xavier's school for mutants. Willow wondered how it would look as a building rather than a ruin.

"We're too late. Damn it, the Seer said if we could have prevented Esme Frost from attacking Buffy today the events would have diverged and the attack on DC would have turned out in our favor," Willow said.

"I understand your disappointment, Miss. However the scans we now have of the disturbances during the temporal transfer would allow you to improve upon the accuracy of the time jump," Jarvis replied.

"Yeah, okay Jarvis let's not disturb anything here, fire up the chrono flux capacitor, we'll return home, see if we can figure out a better place to change our past," Willow said. A counter appeared in her field of view. For nearly half an hour it built up and the jump triggered again. The suit didn't move the entire time

Willow appeared back in the Armor Hall. Tony looked up from his work then looked back down and continued writing on a computer. Just moments after her arrival the armor shut down just as she was about to move. It left her a bit like a statue.

"Tony, break out the jump cables, I am out of juice," she said. The android nodded and got up. She had built him to look and act a lot like her now dead friend and mentor as a part of her dealing with her grief. He had served faithfully for a long time now.

He walked over and reloaded the arc reactor that had been burnt out in the time jump. Soon after the armor booted again and Willow could command Jarvis and the Armor Hall Robots to undress her down to her exoskeleton.

"I take it that you failed to change the future given that you came back," Tony said.

"Depends, how is the war going?" Willow asked as she walked over to the central computer core. She knew of course that she should not have made a difference but she had learned long ago not to assume too much given how her life had become.

Tony sighed. Willow felt a burst of pride at his human like behavior. "Not good. The Brotherhood has blown the Pacific Seawall wide open near Oregon. Admiral Dugan lost most of his naval and aerial forces trying to hold back the Madrox Suicide Waves. A division of Sentinels had to be scrambled from Colorado. They suffered 78 % losses. It seems the mutants have some sort of attack that ignores both the Sentinel armor and force fields. Franklin Richards has reported to SHIELD that he is fairly certain that it is some sort of time/space manipulation power being used. Even worse that turned out be just one of two distractions. Magneto also sent a swarm of small metallic objects down from orbit aimed at the Eastern coast. That occupied distract the Missile Shield long enough for him to fire a bigger weapon. A several tonne iron meteor hit Area S in Nevada, the main Sentinel production plant is a crater now and most of Nevada won't be livable for years to come. I have made an analysis and I think we're no more than a few more incidents like this from a collapse of our Western seaboard military structure. The news out of Europe and Russia is more of the same. It is just that over there Apocalypse's forces are moving humans out of their homes. He is either forcing them to wander East towards Asia or shipping them over here to the Americas on what ever ship he can spare. Those who resist or tarry get punished either with death of the flesh or mind. Oh and one of your old friends were in the news in a big way while you were away as well," Tony explained.

Willow winced and held up a hand. She sat down and asked, "How long was I gone?"

"Nearly five days," Tony replied.

"Then the time jump is more inaccurate on the trip home than on the trip out," Willow said to herself and ran a hand through her short red hair.

"What was the news about my friend?" Willow asked dreading the answer.

"Ragnarok manifested two days ago over Fort Lauderdale and detonated over the base before Sentinels and ground to air could intercept. It was not long after the Area S incident and both acts were probably coordinated to cause a maximum of psychological effect. The base had a psi-shield but it might as well have been made of rice paper. The death toll is still being determined but it is believed to be near total. The Brotherhood repeated their call for a complete US surrender to them just after. Magneto suggested that a surrender to him is vastly preferable to a surrender to Apocalypse or one of his Horsemen. He also said that the Brotherhood and Ragnarok Irregulars would continue to strike US targets until a surrender is agreed upon. Also all captured mutants are to be released and allowed safe passage to the nation of their choice before they'll even consider discussing a peace treaty," Tony explained.

"Oh, god Buffy," Willow said as she looked over the images of total devastation beamed to her computers from the stealth satellites she had put into orbit herself. Magneto had pulled down most satellites other than his own years back and Willow often had to fly up and replace the ones she had after he blasted hers apart. Buffy had killed thousands. It hadn't been the first time since her friend had changed her codename to Ragnarok that Buffy had reduced a bit of the Earth to lifeless rock but still it was upsetting to see and think about when remembering how Buffy had been before fate had turned Buffy turned into Ragnarok. Originally after inventing the time travel device Willow had considered making a hit list with her friends near the top but the Seer, the special computer she had made to predict how her time manipulations would change the timeline, had warned that killing Buffy or other participants in the Washington attack would only lead to worse consequences.

Willow needed to stop the very opening shot of the war. Then maybe Xavier's dream the ideal that had died back then could be realized. She hadn't known about that ideal of coexistence until much after the attack, but now she thought it might be the only way forward. Willow was a bit frustrated because her first attempt had failed but she knew that she had a few more tries before she had to turn to even more extreme options. Problem was that her device had the limitation of not allowing her to visit the same time twice and neither would it allow her to enter her future.

"I had a call for you from Giles. He just wanted to know if how you were doing. I believe he was fishing for some information on your doings. He certainly tried to get me to tell him what it was that has stopped on the world's greatest heroes from fighting in the field," Tony said.

"Him and pretty much every member of the Avengers is worried about well except Hulk if I am guessing right," Willow said.

"The Hulk is not worried about anything. Dr. Banner was at the Area S trying to find a way to safely add Gamma reactors to the Sentinels when the meteor struck. His body was incinerated before Hulk could manifest," Tony said.

Willow looked up in sadness. "Did anyone else die that you happened to forget telling me about?"

"No one else that you knew personally as far as I know," Tony said.

"Tony, I love you and I am proud I made you, but once I have the time, we're gonna take a long look at your emotional subroutines," Willow said.

"Great," Tony replied with sarcasm in his voice.

"I don't want to take any calls for a while. I am gonna take a bath and eat, then we'll figure out a way to make my time travel device more accurate," Willow said.

"Couldn't you just set it to arrive a few days before an event then you'd be certain to be on time," Tony suggested.

"I could, but then I'd have to be so exceptionally careful not to disturb the timeline in other places than the ones I want. Tell me later to tell Seer to run a simulation of that," Willow said.

"I promise," Tony said.

Willow walked away lost in thought. She wondered if Buffy had known or cared that her mom had moved to Las Vegas and might have been in danger from Magneto's attack on it. She often wondered how the two mutant leaders handled working together since the war started over a decade ago. After all Magneto was as much to blame as Buffy was.


	9. Days that matter, day 2

Days that matter, Day 2

"Okay Tony, make sure that there is a couple of spare Arc reactors waiting for me, when I get back. I am taking a spare, but I want to be prepared just in case I have to leave quickly," Willow said. It had been nearly seven days since her first attempt at time manipulation. She had planned on trying again sooner but there had been a high priority Avengers mission to put down an uprising in Neverland Nine. It had taken her a few days to emotionally recover just a little from what they had needed to do to keep the mutants imprisoned there contained. The horrible conditions of the mutants stored there hadn't made her any happier, but she had kept mum about it as so often before. Fear had made her country do horrible things recently, and she couldn't oppose those in power openly given that her intellect almost rated her as a metahuman as well. It was a war of survival to the Human council and they had no patience for her liberal ideas of human and mutant rights. Very few people had these days.

"The certainty factor of the attempted change is not the optimal choice, Miss. There is very little information available on the actual event and even the time frame is inexactly defined," Jarvis said as the Armor neared the end of the chrono flux capacitor's loading sequence.

"It has the second highest probability of success if we can manipulate events to our favor. This is a much safer solution than the primary option," Willow said. "Now activate the time jump to the designated time and date."

-------

Xander had never thought he would miss the humid heat of the Jungle, but the frost and snow in their current hideout was something much worse to him. He had never really had to deal much with weather like this coming from California. Barely two months ago he had returned to Venezuela from Europe and now he was back in the US. They had entered the country by boat and headed by car all the way up to Vermont to a special set of wooden cabins. They sat upon an area filled with metallic deposits underground that Magneto had modified year back to protect against mutant detection devices. Here Xander and the team he was with was preparing for their mission.

Pyro came in, two small balls of flame were circling around him heating the mutant, who had been outside on guard duty. "No one in sight. But I guess being this close to the National Park we're not going to get a lot of visitors. You're it, Triage," Pyro said. Xander nodded and went outside. Ever since their return from Europe Pyro and Avalanche had avoided Xander and he was happily returning the favor. Xander headed outside donning his heavy coat and the gloves as he went.

As he settled in to watch the road leading up to the cabins, his mind wandered as it often did when he was alone with nothing to do. First his thoughts went to Esme. She had reported in a few times and according to Magneto things were going excellently for her. She had recruited several pupils at the school she went to and had convinced them that Magneto's way was better. Xander had only gotten a moment to talk to her over the phone and they had never been able to say much more than hello and goodbye.

After the almost automatic thoughts about his girlfriend his thoughts went to the mystery of Willow. He had tried a few times to find her by searching the Internet for information but it was like the ground had just opened up and swallowed his best friend. Willow's parents were both still traveling around the US giving lectures spending even less time in Sunnydale than ever before. He worried how that would tie in with Giles hints that Xander should ask the government about Willow.

Buffy however he had accounted for. She was dead, killed in a gas main explosion at her dad's place while he had been imprisoned at Neverland. He often felt sad about her dying like that just weeks after getting a new lease on life. Buffy's mom Joyce had moved back to Los Angeles and had reopened her gallery there according what he had gotten off the Internet. He thought about Buffy from time to time, wondering how she would have reacted to how his life had turned out. Xander looked out over the snowy landscape.

-------

Her feet were pounding along. Their pace was amazing. She was faster than she had ever been maybe even as fast as Buffy when she had still been the Slayer. Willow felt an exhilaration unlike any she had felt before. She turned the tight curve slowing to see the forested path curve down the slope back towards the SHIELD compound. "Why not," she thought and jumped over the edge instead of following the path. She jumped like a mountain goat and ran through the forest like nothing could stop her as the silent electronic muscles of her exoskeleton did most of the work for her. Her legs were still numb but she would move and that was what she needed.

Asphalt was suddenly underneath her feet as she headed towards the testing area where Tony and his buddy Jimmy were testing a different edition of the Iron Man suit called War Machine. Willow saw that the white and black armor with Jim Rhodes inside was busy test firing the shoulder mounted gun on a distant target. Tony was standing nearby reading something off a screen. Willow ran up to him while slowing to a jog and finally walking up next to him. "Hi, Tony, how is the new armor?" she asked.

Tony flashed her a brief smile, but his eyes turned back to the screen immediately after. "Doing fine," he replied.

Willow knew that Tony had made the War Machine armor both as a personal favor to Jimmy and to keep SHIELD off his back about the full extent of his Iron Man technology. Tony had not been idle since inventing the armor but only two people and an AI knew exactly how far he had come. War Machine was built from the design of the Mark Two armor. Meanwhile Tony was according to his files in Jarvis finishing the Mark Seven of the Iron Man suit and had made several special armors for other purposes too. Willow was amazed at how far he was planning ahead. He even had made a design for her that accounted for her exoskeleton although he didn't know she knew about that one too. Her access to Jarvis and his files was unrestricted as she had happened to build several backdoors into Jarvis' security protocols when she was updating him.

After giving her the nifty and top secret exoskeleton Nick Fury had revealed SHIELD's quid pro quo. He wanted her to complete a college education through distance teaching from her safehouse and then come work for him. Originally they had wanted her to do high school first, but her time as an invalid with next to nothing to do had already made her complete a GED so it had been changed college instead. That was going well enough. What Nick didn't know was that Tony and Willow got along like gangbusters when it came to technology even if their personalities couldn't be more different. And so when Tony had time, he had taught her random bits of physics and engineering at his level. Willow had found the third teacher after Giles and Jenny that appreciated her and the first that was truly on the same level or better than her.

"Tony, my man, is this thing ready to fly?" Jimmy a consummate pilot asked eagerly.

"It is," Tony said.

"Cool," Rhodes replied and moments later War Machine took off with a roar from its engines. Willow, who didn't consider herself too adventurous about heights, couldn't help but wonder if it would just as exhilarating to fly in an armor as it was for her to run using the exoskeleton.

"Envious," Tony said. Willow looked at him in surprise. It seemed his attention had turned to her.

"Just wondering how it feels," she admitted.

"Maybe you could try it out yourself," Tony suggested.

"You can't go throwing armors at all your friends, you'll run out of fancy nicknames," Willow replied.

"I wasn't thinking of making one for you. But I know you have access to my files, so how about a challenge since you've been bored enough to install backdoors into Jarvis. Use the fabrication units at the mansion and my technology to build yourself an original armor. Impress me," he suggested.

"Uh, I don't know. I am not the hero type," Willow said.

"Who said anything about heroism and anyway I think you are selling yourself way short on that front as well," he said.

"Would you be open to offering advice?" Willow asked.

"Consider me your mentor, but don't you dare tell Pepper," Tony decreed.

"Okay, I won't tell if you don't tell Nick either," she said.

"Never crossed my mind," Tony replied. Willow answered him with a tight hug.

-------

Buffy stared at herself in the mirror. She was getting pale living away from her beloved sun. It even snowed at regular intervals in the state of New York. It was nearly time for her to leave the employee's lounge and get to work for the day. She had been helping out at the hospital ever since the Professor had allowed them to get out of the school for volunteer work. She had picked the hospital because she felt that she could deal with death and suffering better than most even if she had hated every moment of her work. But the other options had been worse in her opinion and the incentives of allowances and time away from the school had won out over her private fears. Working as a Candy Stripper for lack of a better term had not however been like she had expected. Most of the work was extremely trivial and somehow she had hoped for more. Between the tensions and the sheer boredom of her school and the hospital the only place she had left where she felt sane at the moment was the Danger Room. Only in those moments when she was fighting did she really feel strong and to her disgust it was the only place she didn't feel unwanted at the moment.

"What did you expect?" Buffy addressed her reflection in the mirror. "It can't be true that I am like this. How can I want to fight, really want to be fighting for my life again? Here I am helping people at a hospital and all I do half the time is to go around thinking about how I could make a real difference if I was out there and doing things like Spider-man or Iron-man. Even if I shouldn't be out there in the world fighting evil. Listen to yourself, Buffy you're talking to yourself, you need to find more friends," Buffy said.

Kitty ducked her head into the room. "Buffy, get on with it. This isn't summer camp for ex-cheerleaders," she almost snarled at Buffy. Buffy again wondered what she had done to make Kitty and even Rogue seeming constantly annoyed at her. It had happened gradually over the last few weeks, but neither of them had been willing to tell her why.

"I am coming," Buffy checked her watch. She decided it was time to ask more directly. "Why are you constantly snapping at me?" Buffy asked as they walked towards the nurses station.

"Because I... I don't know Buffy, I guess I have been feeling a bit irritated at everyone lately. It is not just me either. I think we're all a bit on edge at the school. You know I saw Scott and Ororo have a huge argument yesterday. And with the Professor off to DC all the time to help Hank with housecleaning the Department for Mutant Affairs they're in charge. I am sorry," Kitty said but she didn't sound like she meant it.

Buffy looked at her and nodded. "Why does that place need housecleaning?" Buffy wondered.

"Apparently under the last director Striker, a real asshole by the way, all the mutant haters in DC was invited to join. Now Hank is up to his ears in people who hate the very sight of him. But the President wants him to clean house because they even tried to provoke a war by trying to have him assassinated by a mind controlled mutant. The X-Men stopped that Striker guy, but a lot of his people were still in the department and Hank has had no real support from his department because he is so obviously a mutant," Kitty explained.

"Ah girls, you can be go right ahead. Buffy, dear, Room 9 needs to have the bed made up. Kitty, if you would, I would like you to begin with filing now okay," Nurse Banks said.

"Sure," Buffy said.

She went to pick up the fresh linen along with the dirty linen cart and headed for the room she was handling. She stepped inside and immediate wondered if she had gotten the room number wrong. The bed was perfectly made already. There was a thump as the door behind her slid shut. Buffy turned and saw a man in a blue uniform standing behind her. He had been hiding behind the door. She jumped back and got ready to blast him as he looked way too much like one of those AIM or HYDRA people complete with a fancy ear piece and a fancy holstered gun.

"No need to get aggressive Miss Summers," A voice said from behind her. Buffy turned sideways and saw a big black man dressed in a heavy black leather coat wearing an eye patch was seated in the heavy chair meant for relatives.

"I took the liberty and had the bed made so that you and I could have this moment to talk," the man said. Something about him told Buffy that he didn't much care for her.

"But I am not supposed to talk to strangers," Buffy said acting like the vapid cheerleader she imagined she could have turned into if she hadn't become the Slayer.

"Now Miss Summers don't play games with me. I know enough about you to know that you're neither stupid nor incapable of protecting yourself. Besides I am here in an errand that could help alleviate a lot of the problems in your life," he continued.

Buffy wasn't feeling all that trusting especially given the entire spy vibe she was getting from this meeting. "How did you find me?" she asked and decided she was willing to talk but not to let down her guard.

"My organization has known about Xavier's school for a while now. We don't mind it given that it is not dedicated to cranking out terrorists. So when we reviewed some footage from our unfortunate run-in in Seattle I realized that the only people who would pull out a couple of mutant kids out from the under the noses of a bunch of AIM terrorists as well as disabling several SHIELD agents while being dressed like they were, was Xavier's boys and girls. So I acted on a hunch and started looking for you here," he said.

Buffy allowed her body to become covered in its sheath of white fire. "I had hoped you AIM assholes would stay away. I am tired of running from you," Buffy was about to blast both the agents.

"We're not AIM. We're SHIELD. A Federal agency that works to keep the peace and protect the US from organizations like AIM and HYDRA. I have been trying to find you since we found out that both AIM and HYDRA wants you dead quite badly. I can even help hide you if you decide leaving Xavier might a good idea. Although I have to say given your current state it is probably the best place for you," he said.

Buffy didn't trust his words. "I am going to need evidence. I've never heard of anything called SHIELD," Buffy said.

"Why don't you call your friend Wolverine. He knows us," the black man explained.

Buffy nodded, took out the cell phone each volunteer student had been given and dialed the school, she hoped the teacher had the time to come to the phone at school. She carefully kept an eye on the black man, something told her that he was immensely dangerous and having an armed agent at her back Buffy decided to keep her sheath on full power.

"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, this is Ororo," Buffy recognized Storm's voice. She wondered if she should ask Ororo instead of Logan and decided to play it Logan's way for now.

"Hi, Ororo, I needed to talk to Logan, I am a hurry," Buffy said.

"Oh, hi Buffy, I will call Logan here. Wait please," Ororo said.

Buffy waited, realizing as the time went that the moment seemed almost surreal to her. "Logan," the deep growl of Logan came across the phone.

"I am standing here with a black guy with an eyepatch, who says he is from some organization called SHIELD and wants to talk to me. Do you know anything about them?" she asked.

There was a long pause. "Ask him what the name of his unit was?" Logan said.

Buffy turned and looked at the black man. "What was the name of your unit?" she asked the one eyed man.

"The Howling Commandos," the black man replied.

"I heard," Logan replied in the phone as Buffy took a breath to repeat the answer. "You can't trust him but you can talk to him. We're gonna talk later, and if you're not home on time I am coming to find you," Logan explained.

"Thanks, bye," Buffy replied. Logan hung up.

"Okay so talk," Buffy said.

"Actually I think I am here to hear you talk. Something happened with you and your father in LA. It is connected to AIM and HYDRA. All of what has happened to you was tied to this. If you tell me, I can make sure that they find out that you've talked to me. They might be vengeful for a while, but given how safe you are at the moment I think you'll be fine. And in a short while you'd be able to go home, maybe even stay for good. I could get you and your mom into witness protection instead of course, but somehow I get the feeling you wouldn't do well under constant surveillance," he suggested.

"Listen, I need to know your name, or is it a secret?" Buffy asked.

"Just call me Fury," the man said.

"Ri-i-i-ght. Okay listen then Fury," Buffy sat down on the bed, "I was visiting my dad. He was a lawyer. A normal one as far I knew. I was at a party held by his company IDIC."

"A known front for AIM that we haven't been able to shut down," the black man interrupted.

"Whatever. At the party I overheard my dad and some guys from another group HYDRA but I am not entirely sure. Anyway I got curious and I searched the names I heard that night on the Internet. Turns out my dad was negotiating contracts for AIM to trade weapons for that HYDRA group. I found drafts and other stuff for the contracts in my dad's safe. I confronted him but it turned out that AIM had my dad's house bugged and apparently immediately decided both my dad and I had to die. We fought back pretty well but they got my dad and just that moment my body decided to manifest this power," Buffy waved her still flaming hand in front of herself. In her mind the last moments of her dad's life flashed by.

"I am sorry for your loss. However that hardly explains why they are still going after you," Fury said.

"I don't know then," Buffy said.

"No I mean I need details. They must think you know some important details somehow. Which I am guessing you don't remember too many off," Fury sounded deeply disappointed.

Buffy wanted to protest, but she hadn't really written anything down and all she remembered now were vague generalities. "Sorry," she admitted.

"All this for nothing," Fury said.

"Hey, I didn't make you come here," Buffy protested.

"I didn't mean this Miss Summers. I meant what has happened to you, the continual threat to you, all because they think you know something but what you know is not that valuable," Fury got up from his chair.

Buffy didn't even notice her fire going out. "Trust me I am just as sorry. I might be able to remember some more stuff. A few names of places. They were going to use some sub... something... another company in the Middle East owned by my dad's company. I think that was where AIM would transfer special weapons to HYDRA, who'd then ship them from there themselves... I can't remember the name but it was foreign. Yawn or something like that," Buffy felt knowledge flow through her mind vague but somehow still present suddenly return to the forefront and it turned out she knew more than she had originally thought. It was like she was seeing the papers of her dad in her mind's eye.

"Could it have been Yemen?" Fury asked.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed.

"Do you remember anything about dates and times? Take your time," Fury asked.

Buffy squinted in concentration, then slowly like it was seeping back to her the times assembled themselves in her head and then to her surprise the perfect image of the contract draft from her dad's safe appeared in her mind. "I remember now. The shipping times were on the 11th and 16th of each Month transferring the good to Somalia using the port of Aden. The exact arms orders were to be determined later, but the payment was going be handled through a physical cash transfer for the local agents and for larger orders by having HYDRA raise the stock value of several companies in which IDIC would first buy a stake. The companies weren't listed but they would be doing it out of IDIC offices in Hong Kong. The transfer and the stock price values would be verified on the ground in Aden by a trusted agent from each side. The agents would transfer the names of the companies they'd manipulate the stock off for each trade," Buffy read from the document as it appeared in her mind not really sure what half of it all meant. She realized that being able to do that from memory wasn't normal and she promised herself to tell Xavier about it as soon as he was back from DC.

Fury stood staring at her. "That was suddenly very detailed," he said.

"I guess I suddenly remembered it better than I thought," Buffy replied and tried not to let it show that she was surprised by her sudden flash of memory herself. "They could have changed all of it, because I found out and the thing is... I only read a draft so this might not be right in the first place," she said.

"No matter, it is a possible lead and a better one that I've had in a while. This might even let me finally bring down the IDIC. That was what I had hoped for, Miss Summers, your country thanks you. I will let you know if things become safe enough to let you go home," the black man headed for the window and opened it. The other agent walked to it as well.

"What is that it? I don't get a receipt or something. A stamp saying 'Helpful to the Government' or something," Buffy asked.

"You won't be forgotten Miss Summers. We keep records. However the best aid I could offer you would be relocation and honestly Xavier's is a safer and better place than what I could give you. I will try to get the AIM and HYDRA off your back and once I know that they won't be coming gunning for you and your mother the moment you step back into public life, I'll give Xavier's a call," Fury said. Buffy heard a hum and a fancy vehicle that she could be describe as an open top flying car hover up into view. First the other agent then Fury stepped over into the vehicle and got seated. Buffy walked to the window unable to keep from staring.

"Bye," Fury called out and the vehicle flew back down to the paved path that ran behind the Hospital and its gardens. The vehicle unfolded a regular looking car roof and drove off like it was just another gray metallic sedan.

"Bye," Buffy said still a bit shocked by what had just happened. She suddenly realized she was supposed to be working and ran back out after checking that the bed was really made right and correcting a few folds.

"Man, my life is weird and here I thought things would get more normal this far from Sunnydale, but no... Here people are stepping out of the window into a flying car," Buffy mumbled before heading out of the room.

-------

Nick was staring out the window as they headed around the Hospital trying to get their car back to a regular road before someone took too much notice of them driving a car along what was supposed to be a foot and bike path.

"Sir," Ferris one of the agents he used regularly spoke up.

"Yes, agent," he replied.

"I have a question? Why didn't you tell Miss Summers about Rosenberg. With this new information we might soon be able to allow both of them back to their regular lives," Ferris said.

"Ferris, do you know a lot about Sunnydale, California?" Nick asked.

"No," Ferris replied.

"Let's just say that I feel the longer we keep anyone out of that town the better. Rosenberg also knows more highly classified secrets than the average SHIELD field agent already, I couldn't let her go back to her own life right now even if I thought it was a good idea. She is better of with us. Besides Summers could become a liability. We have reason to believe her mutant power puts her in the same league as Magneto and from what we know of her background and personality I am having doubts about where her loyalty will lie in the future," Nick said as they headed off the hospital grounds.

-------

Her suit's sensors followed Nick Fury's car away from the hospital. "Jarvis, give me the readings again," Willow told the AI installed in her Iron Woman suit.

"I am reading 712 lifesigns based on EM signatures. There are five active mutants within the Hospital confines. The mutant power signatures correspond with five entries in my database," Jarvis said.

"List the signatures and designate each position on my HUD, keep a continual target lock on each target," Willow said.

"Yes, Miss," Jarvis said.

A list appeared overlain Willow's view. "Signature #1 is Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, codename: Shadowcat, known powers: Phase shifting. Signature #2 is Buffy Anne Summers, codename: Ragnarok, known powers: Psionic power generation, Note: current power level does not match registered power level," Willow ignored the rest of the list and turned to look straight at the designated target that was her friend. Part of her wanted to shed the armor and go up to that floor and have a chat with that girl. Buffy had been the catalyst of so much in her life and she remembered the time before Washington, the time in Sunnydale when she had wanted nothing more than to talk every day with Buffy, wanted to help that girl.

Back then she hadn't been as aware of her true sexual nature as she was now. And so she hadn't realized that a small part of her had already been aware of her lesbianism and that this part of her had at that age had a huge crush on Buffy. Willow wondered for a moment how the Buffy that was in her sights would feel about knowing about her sexuality. Ragnarok, the future Buffy, certainly hadn't been exactly pleasant to Willow about Willow being a lesbian. But then Ragnarok wasn't really pleasant about much at all.

"I have enabled access to the local cell phone network and I have access to several Wifi networks, Miss," Jarvis said.

Willow didn't react for a few moments then said, "Okay, Jarvis, I want you to access the Internet and determine Buffy's cell phone number. We need to change the sequence of events today so that the Feedback event is prevented. That way the DC battle will go down differently because the motivations will have changed. Which means both the Sentinel and mutant internment camps won't be put into effect by the emergency administration. And the war is prevented," Willow said going through the line of reasoning that had led her to the Hospital.

"Unless something else sets it off. The analysis also indicates that Apocalypse will still be awakened soon and there are many other scenarios that could still occur," Jarvis replied. It was an ongoing argument between her, Jarvis and her android Tony. Tony and Jarvis both believed that the Man Mutant war was inevitable. Just as she hadn't really told anyone back in the future about her time travel project, she also hadn't admitted to anyone that what she really wanted was for her friends not to be mentioned in the same breath as Magneto and Apocalypse. Of course ending the war would make her more than happy but after nearly a decade of fighting Willow was almost cynical about a happy ending as the AI that worked with her and she was willing to settle for making the lives of those she cared about better.

"I have the phone number, Miss," Jarvis reported.

"Start the voice modulator, use the voice imprint of Scott Summers that I uploaded before we left then dial the cell phone Buffy is carrying and patch my voice through the modulator," Willow commanded.

Willow heard the dial tone. It took a while before Buffy answered.

-------

"Hi Buffy, this is Scott," the teacher's voice came from her cell phone.

"Hi, what is up Scott?" she asked.

"I have been looking a bit through our records of your volunteer work and you put in a lot of hours. I thought that given you age and the responsibility you've shown that you might want to stay in town tonight and go to a club or something like that in Salem Center," Scott asked.

"Really, but I don't have the clothes for that," Buffy said thinking out loud.

"Not a problem either, I can move up your allowance and the pay for the last few weeks over to your account so that you can go shopping a bit first. In fact this goes for Kitty as well, so you two could go out and have a nice evening. I've set your curfew to eleven o'clock," Scott said.

"Thanks that is very cool of you Scott," Buffy said and wondered if whatever had unclenched the tight assed man would last for a while.

"No problem Buffy, see you later tonight," Scott said.

"Bye," Buffy replied. She hoped given that Wolverine had threatened to go look for her earlier that Scott would tell him what he had done. But thinking about it there was nearly no chance that the by-the-book teacher wouldn't tell Logan something like this. Buffy went out looking for Kitty. It was time to give her the good news. Buffy just hoped Kitty would be in a good enough mood to actually want to come with her.

-------

Willow smiled beneath her mask as the phone signal was shut off. "Give me internet access and a load up my hacking toolkit. We need to hack into the bank to get that money into Buffy's account. This way she won't be home when Wolverine catches the Frost girl and the telepath will make a clean getaway. If we're lucky it will even increase the bad blood between Xavier's people and Magneto if she takes other students along," Willow concluded with satisfaction.

"Are we leaving now then, Miss," Jarvis asked.

"Of course not, we are going to stay close to the school. If Buffy should come home too early we'll intervene and distract her somehow," Willow said.

"I must warn you Miss, our energy stores could be severely depleted by any battle with Ragnarok even at this lower powered state. Such a drain might mean that we'd have to find a way to acquire or construct a new arc reactor module," Jarvis said.

"We can't fight her. That might lead to a lot of awkward problems for Iron Man and my current time line self. Buffy shouldn't be taught to fear this suit. In fact given that Buffy is basically on good standing with SHIELD at the moment I might even be able to finagle getting my current self and Buffy back together as a team. This world needs more mutant and government cooperation," Willow said as she engaged the stealth mode of her armor and took off slowly showing up as nothing more than a blur of blue and while color that would be mistaken by most observers as simply a part of the sky.

-------

Esme looked around the quiet area near the nurses station. She was assigned to help as an administrative aide at the Hospital and usually spent her volunteer hours entering data into a computer. Dreadfully boring but it did give her a chance to get away from the cloying confines of the school. She had been sent mostly just to spy on Xavier, his precious X-Men and the students, but the Professor had been very busy and was clearly limited by his weakness, his sense of morality. She had used this and expanded upon what her mission had been supposed to be. Slowly she had done what they had only been able to dream off before sending her. She was slowly poisoning the minds of the students using her telepathy and the sanity of Magneto's argument. The students were going over to her side. They listened to her. Only the faint buzzing like a gnat in her ear reminded Esme of one of only a couple of students she had not dared to touch with her power. Buffy was at the hospital too. But the girl was miserable at least Esme had been able to see to that. Her friends were distancing themselves from the Californian. It had only taken some weeks of small but constant nudges to break up the friendship between Kitty, Buffy and Rogue.

A nurse stepped up to her. "You're too lost in thought. Anyone could have slipped right up to you and attacked. You must not lose focus Esmeralda Frost," the woman hissed and her eyes turned yellow for a moment.

"Mystique?" Esme gasped.

"Shush, we didn't want to risk telephonic contact this time. The lines in and out of the school are monitored by SHIELD at the moment. And Xavier is in Washington so he won't detect me," Mystique said.

"Yeah, but there are other students here," Esme said.

"They'll only see a nurse and an aide talking. But we should go somewhere more private follow me to the basement," Mystique said.

-------

Buffy glanced to the side in confusion. "Mystique," she thought. It was a name Bobby and the others had taught her about. She was Magneto's second in command. Esme talking to Mystique was a very bad thing.

Buffy considered what she should do. She could call the school, but if she left their presence she'd never get to hear what they were going to talk about. She resolved to try the undercover thing instead. Buffy knew she was not the most stealthy of girls, but she had hunted and been stalked by some of the stealthier critters on the planet. She hoped she could at least remember some of what she had once known instinctively.

She stood behind the pillar next to the nurses station she had hidden behind when hearing the word Mystique. She had just been looking for Kitty and now things had changed suddenly for the third time in under an hour. The pair she was watching headed for the stairs.

Buffy wondered how she could follow and decided that there was a way. She quickly slipped out of her shoes while she headed for the door to the staircase. She put her hand and stopped the door from closing immediately then waited to hear the two sets of footsteps heading down the stairs keeping the door opened just enough for a small slit to stay open. Then the steps were faint enough, Buffy pushed the door opened just enough for her to pass. She slowly closed the door behind her and headed down the stairs wearing only her socks.

-------

"So what is your status at the school?" Mystique asked as they entered the more rarely used basement levels of the hospital.

"No one suspects anything. I've not found out much of interest though that I haven't already reported. Xavier is focused on Hank McCoy taking over the Department of Mutant Affairs. His teachers seem distracted by the teaching," Esme reported.

"Nothing more specific than that?" Mystique asked.

"Maybe. I guess there is a lot of gossip, but the teachers stick together and don't really tell us anything," Esme explained.

Mystique nodded. "We want a tally of the current students, their powers, how far along their training is and not to forget we want you to make a map of the secret escape routes they show you. Also you hinted that several students would be amenable to join us in your last communication. That is good news," she explained.

"No problem but that might take a while and I don't really know all of that. But I have an advantage. I was told to look for recruits and subtly spread Magneto's message at the school. And I've done just that. I've been influencing all the kids at school and some of them are under my complete control. I can have one of them come down here immediately," Esme said and her eyes glowed white for a moment as she reached through the mental noise made by Buffy being in the Hospital somewhere and commanded Kitty Pryde to come down.

Mystique rounded on Esme her shape shifting back to its blue and scaly natural form. "You did what!" she yelled and hoisted Esme up by her collar.

-------

Buffy stepped down into the basement and heard the woman Esme had called Mystique yell, "You did what! You were told to spread the message but not by force!"

"Yes, but I have to tell you. I wasn't sure that just arguing our philosophy would be enough so I helped things along and the school really is wide open. Xavier is totally oblivious and I've been careful," Esme said.

Buffy wondered what Esme was talking about.

"You fool. You were supposed to stay there undercover for a while not to go on some mad mind control driven recruitment spree for your own benefit. We can't use anyone that doesn't believe in our mission fully. What were you thinking?" Mystique yelled.

"Let me go!" Esme choked out. There was the sound of feet scuffling.

"Don't you ever dare enter my mind again," Mystique growled.

"And don't you dare try treating me as a kid again. I haven't been directly controlling too many of them. Most of the time I just change their emotions at little, make sure they reach the right conclusions and implant suggestions in their minds. Listen, it is a great idea. In one stroke we could make sure almost all the strongest and best trained mutants switch to our side. Some of them are very powerful. And I am more than capable of making sure the little naive darlings stay on our side," Esme railed.

Buffy fought to keep her emotions under control. She was angry. She was very angry. That bitch had probably been fucking with her friends, all the other students and even the kids just create her own brainwashed mutant soldiers. It was wrong on so many levels that Buffy was practically cooking, and so she had to fight to keep her fire down. A big fight at a hospital between some mutants would be very bad news especially if it was connected to Xavier's. She needed to get away and call the school and the Professor. That was the only safe way to deal with this.

There was a footstep behind her. Buffy jumped around and saw a slack faced Kitty standing there. Her eyes were empty but still staring right at her.

"Shit, caught out by bloody Buffy Summers, no way, no fucking way," Esme cursed behind her. Buffy started running. She faintly remembered Xavier's long-winded explanation of how her powers protected her from telepathy. But Buffy remembered very little about Mystique's powers and there was no way she could safely fight in the hospital given her sometimes spotty control over her energy blasts. "Mystique one of Xavier's students that I can't control has seen us," Esme yelled.

Buffy made her way around Kitty and headed up the stairs to the ground floor.

"Don't let her get away," the woman's voice that Buffy equated with Mystique yelled.

-------

Buffy crashed through the entry area wondering if she looked funny running around desperately in her candy striper uniform. People weren't moving out of her way and she had to jump and duck in the subdued chaos that was the entrance area of a busy hospital. She managed to get out and turned to run to along the left side of the building heading for the park like area behind the hospital. Her feet were cold on the grass making Buffy miss her shoes. She needed to get to somewhere she could either safely use her phone or to take flight from. Buffy pulled out her phone out and tried to enter the school phone number.

Something strange and tingly passed through her and her phone made a few sparks before the display went blank. Kitty rolled to a stop in the grass next to her. Buffy knew from her training in the Danger Room that Kitty going through any electronics meant it was dead and gone. She tossed her phone hard at the obviously mind controlled Kitty.

Buffy also knew that there was no easy way for Kitty to hurt her. She was sure that Kitty could have come up with something, but from the jerky and uncoordinated movements of the trained dancer and martial artist it was clear that Esme was in direct control of Kitty. So Buffy ignored her and kept heading for the forest. All she needed at the moment was a good spot to lift off from.

Buffy entered the bushes the branches harmlessly bouncing off her invulnerable skin as she sped through the wood. She felt rather than heard something heavy hit the ground somewhere behind her. And several footsteps racing to keep up with her through the bushes.

"That can't be good," Buffy thought.

"If you run, I'll have to make Kitty stop using her power inside a wall!" Kitty yelled.

Buffy paused for a moment. She was unsure. She couldn't give in to that. If she did then there would be no way back from that. She would not allow anyone to use her friends against her. She had to rethink her tactics immediately. Esme had to get the asskicking that had coming to her for a while now. Buffy stopped running and turned. The white bonfire of her energy lit just as both Kitty and a blue scaly figure that could only be Mystique almost ran into her.

Buffy turned and looked around ignoring the two other mutants for a moment, she knew she had to find and stop Esme as she should have done from the beginning. Kitty launched a kick at Buffy, but it didn't carry enough force to do much of anything to a Buffy wreathed in her protective flames. The blue figure launched a series of stronger but still ineffectual blows which made Buffy relax her stance a bit so that she could better look for Esme, whom she hoped wasn't hiding in the hospital. Buffy miscalculated. The blue woman immediately swept Buffy's legs out from under her. Buffy sometimes forgot that her power didn't root her to the ground.

Buffy landed on the ground hard but the impact didn't faze her. She turned her eyes towards the blue scaly woman when something huge and silvery stomped out from the bushes and immediately kicked Buffy in the ribs.

The pain was intense and as Buffy blew like a bullet through several bushes and finally toppled a tree, her view of the world grew slightly gray for a moment as she passed through it. Buffy slammed against another tree and it stopped her flight with a massive crack. This time Buffy felt the ground as she landed on it. Before she could do anything something heavy fell on her from behind and blocked her view.

Buffy heaved the tree off herself and opened her eyes. Peter in his metallic Colossus form strode towards her his eyes as empty and unthinking as Kitty's. Kitty, who was right behind Peter, was advancing on Buffy with a stick in one hand. Buffy knew there was only one solution. She focused on generating force instead of fire and lifted a hand. The ensuing blast was blinding.

Buffy stared at a long stretch of cleared undergrowth. Kitty was nowhere in sight. Peter however stood unmoving and seemingly unimpressed by her attack even if it had moved him several yards back. He quickly hurtled forward at a run and grabbed Buffy by her throat forcing her sheath of fire back against her skin. He lifted her in one hand. Buffy felt like she had no protection at all and for a moment she flashed back to the other time she had felt this helpless. The Master's teeth entering her neck. Panic overcame her and Buffy desperately tried kicking Peter with all her strength but it didn't seem to register with him at all. His hand started closing, choking off her air. Buffy hit her would-be killer but to no effect.

"You see, even if I can't control you I can still get to you little miss useless," Esme stepped out of the woods and leaned against a tree a couple of yards away. Buffy tried to focus her energy to fire out at the girl but as she lifted her hand to fire Peter forced it back down with his free hand. Buffy was starting to lose consciousness. Her image of the world grew narrower and started to lose color.

Buffy reacted instead of thinking and unleashed the fire she kept bottled up inside and let it well freely out in all directions. The pressure on her throat got very bad and it really hurt for a moment, Buffy felt a rush go through her body then the pressure disappeared. Everything around Buffy was white and she realized she was flying again. Buffy gasped for air and turned her head to see Peter who had been carried up a bit of the way falling back towards the burning forest below.

Buffy knew Peter would survive the fall, but she needed to pacify him too. Even with her head swimming Buffy had an idea. She focused her energies and fired a massive heat and pressure bolt into Peter. He rammed into the ground like a stake the impact throwing dirt, burning sticks and plant bits yards into the air. He was buried and struggling maybe even hurt, but Buffy didn't afford herself the time to focus on him for now. She saw the grimy Mystique and Esme running across the lawn heading for the parking lot. Esme seemed to be struggling against Mystique who was pulling her along. It looked as if Esme wanted to stay and fight. Buffy adjusted her course and increased her speed her head getting slightly clearer as she barreled along.

"Watch out," Mystique yelled and pushed Esme out of the way. Buffy missed Esme but the blue woman was within her reach as she had paused to yell. Angry and hurting Buffy struck out using her strength and speed to hit the woman with a fist to the chest. Mystique flew back and bounced twice along the grass making a slightly groove before sliding to a stop.

Buffy made a running landing and turned towards Esme. The girl looked angry, covered in dirt and suddenly teary eyed. "Not you. You can't be the one to stop me. You're not smart enough. Not strong enough. Not worthy for even a moment. I can't lose to someone as pathetic as you. I have a purpose you've got nothing. I must not lose to you. You don't deserve to win," Esme seemed to steel herself.

"You have no idea who I am, what I have done and no right to judge me either. Now don't try anything. You can't win against me," Buffy said trying to sound more certain than she felt. Her head was swimming, she could barely aim and a throbbing pain in her side constantly told her that Peter had managed to bruise or break something inside of her.

"I will make you as braindead as your name says you should be," Esme said and her eyes glowed bright white.

Buffy felt a sudden rush of energy go through her. Her fire flared into a bonfire.

Esme's mouth opened in surprised gasp and a small trickle of blood came out one of her eyes. The white glow from Esme's eyes grew. Things happened very fast. A strange almost wisp like funnel of energy seemed to connect between them. Buffy felt very hot and then the world seemed bathed in ever increasing white. All around her. Then came the pain.

"Stop," Buffy said and tried to pull away from Esme. Gasoline on a fire Xavier had said. Esme was burning herself using Buffy as a pyre. And Buffy wasn't having it. She tried to fly.

The pain that had steadily grown became hundreds of times sharper and it broke her concentration. Buffy fell to her knees imagined that this was how it would be like to be on fire. She also felt full almost like after a massive thanksgiving dinner. She needed to rid herself of the energy. But she needed to do it safely. She couldn't explode. Not here. Buffy pushed out with her energy like she usually did when flying. This time she managed it.

-------

Kitty coughed to clear her lungs a bit of the smoke and hobbled forward. She was pretty sure her ankle was just sprained. As silently was possible because she feared coming under Esme's control again Kitty got up. She saw what she thought at first was a white hot explosion but when it lifted off and flew high into the air, glowing like a small sun all the way, she realized it was Buffy. Kitty followed the huge ball of light with her eyes. It flew high into the air and then seemingly got a lot larger. A shockwave hit the hospital shattering all the glass. Kitty wasn't touched. She was already out of phase.

The light in the sky disappeared and she could at first see no trace of Buffy then slowly she noticed a spot dropping towards the ground. Kitty started running towards it. Her phasing allowed her a slow ascent into the air by walking up the air molecules. She ran forward as fast as she could. Still she missed catching Buffy by several yards. Buffy hit the ground hard and lay still in a small indentation. Kitty landed. Her eyes caught sight of Mystique in the distance standing bent over Esme who had seemingly stood right next to Buffy's take off point.

Mystique turned and ran with anger in her face towards them. Kitty landed in a stance ready for what might be her toughest fight yet. Mystique stopped for a moment then turned and ran the other way again. Kitty became aware of fast very heavy feet approaching. She turned and saw Peter in his metallic form barely dressed in more than rags running towards them. He was very dirty and apparently very angry. Kitty took a moment to think.

"Peter let Mystique go," Kitty yelled as he passed her, while she bent down to check on Buffy. The girl was wounded and it might even be severe. Her hands and feet looked like the skin had been ruptured and almost crack like openings were visible and bleeding profusely. Kitty was certain that those holes would need cleaning and a good surgeon.

"What about that treacherous wretch?" Peter asked nodding towards the still form of Esme.

"Pick up Buffy, we have to get out of here before too many people see us. The Professor can probably still cover this up so that we're not directly implicated," Kitty told Peter before running over next to Esme. She turned Esme's head slightly and gasped. The eyes were burned away and the smell of burnt meat came from the formerly blond girl's mouth. The rest of Esme's body was mostly unhurt, but as Kitty in morbid fascination studied the head she realized that Esme's head had been burnt from the inside out.

Kitty turned and saw Peter in his human form nearby gently holding Buffy. "Go into the woods, I'll go fetch the car. And stay close to the road. We have to hurry. I have no idea how hurt Buffy is," Kitty said.

"Let us bring her in there then," Peter said.

"Then they'd only treat her to arrest her later. Someone might have seen. And the police is on the way for sure. Are you sure, they'd even help her?" Kitty asked before running off.

Peter turned and ran for the nearby woods.

-------

Willow had barely made it to Xavier's school grounds, when Jarvis said, "Miss, Sensors are indicating that Ragnarok is currently active and powering almost up to the levels stored in my database. She is still back at the Hospital."

"What! No!" Willow protested she turned the suit around and headed back. "Plot a course in that direction now. Charge a nullifier collar. Even given Buffy's current power level it should work for a while," she said.

"Jarvis, replay the original mutant sensor data from the Hospital. What other mutants were there?" Willow commanded on a whim.

Willow read through the list. "Oh, no, Esme Frost and Mystique, how could I've been so careless," she said.

"Miss, Original accounts of the events of this day indicate that the meeting between Esme Frost and Mystique would later lead to Wolverine smell her scent on Esme Frost. Wolverine would then have entered into a battle with her, which ended up including many of the students confronting the mutant under Esme Frosts control as he resisted mind control in his berserk state. At some point that fight came to include Buffy Summers and she killed Esme Frost when a telepathic attack initiated a feedback event causing severe damage to Xavier's school and killing Miss Frost," Jarvis said.

"I know," Willow said. She had studied all the events leading up to the DC event intently.

They arrived over the scene. Willow's scanners indicated that Katherine Pryde and Piotr Rasputin were on the scene and taking care of a clearly wounded Buffy. The blast damage patterns were clear too. "Miss, It would seem that your friend managed to redirect the psionic explosion away from the hospital in this case. The residual energy levels are however consistent with a physical Ragnarok blast and analysis indicates that if the feedback event had not killed Esme Frost as clearly happened then the psionic fallout would have damaged maybe even killed the telepath anyway," Jarvis coldly informed her.

Willow considered her options. She could just reverse her jump and try for the next option but it was possibly her final option as well. But there was another possibility.

"Analyze Ragnarok's condition. If we fire a focused laser or repulsor bolt at her, would she die?" Willow asked.

"Yes Miss. Although my scans are partially obscured by the mutant codenamed Colossus, the long range scans indicate that her energy levels are currently too low to maintain nominal invulnerability and in her current state unlike in her later years the bolt could be modulated to actually kill her. Miss, if I may, could I suggest that such a kill would make a lot of people live a lot longer?" Jarvis said.

Willow said nothing. Her neural interface marked the targets. Firing solutions were plotted. A memory of her, Xander and Buffy joking on the grass in front of Sunnydale High flashed through Willow's mind along with another one. Buffy leaving her on the night of the prom to go fight against the Master and die.

"No, this Buffy is not Ragnarok. Not yet. She is not to blame for the future. We still have one more chance. But if that fails. Then we will make sure she really dies on that day in Washington. Take us home Jarvis. We have a lot of preparation to do," Willow said.

"Miss, I do hope that there is home to go back to and our meddling hasn't caused other events to change," Jarvis said.

"I want to make a change, just the right one. But when we arrive back home, keep all systems battle ready and prepare for the link up with the Seer if she still exists I want to make certain what changes we have made if any," Willow said.

"Yes, miss. Starting warm up for the time jump," Jarvis said.

-------

Charles watched through the glass as Hank went about his work. Even now serving as the Secretary on Mutant Affairs Hank had decided to take the time and follow him back home to treat the patient now laying in their medical bay. The blue furred mutant finished his work and walked outside to the observation room. Charles was pretty sure he could have cared for his student but Hank was a better doctor and it pleased him to see the man he taught as one of his first student do such excellent work.

"How is she?" He asked.

"Her body it seems cannot cope with the excess energy her power produces if a foreign source is introduced. It caused her skin to rupture. Colossus also gave her a set of broken ribs and I saw from the X-Ray's that it is not the first time she has had that happen to her. I can't say anything about her mental state given what has happened. However since she cannot have forced poor Esmeralda to use her telepathy Buffy is quite innocent in this matter in my opinion," Hank explained.

Charles thought, "I have suppressed the local police investigation for now and made everyone think that the event was the initial break out of Esme's powers and that her powers unfortunately also killed her during their first appearance. Kitty helped me modify the paperwork at the Hospital and those remembering Esme's ties with the school have had their memories modified so Buffy should be in the clear. I will have to work out someway to make sure she does not blame herself for this and Hank's department doesn't get too zealous either she will be fine."

Xavier told his former pupil. "I agree with you. I just hope this won't become a problem for Buffy. She is not entirely as strong emotionally as she pretends to be. So I am guessing that Buffy shouldn't be expecting a visit from your department any time soon."

"No chance of that Charles. This was clearly not Buffy's fault. She does have quite the checkered past with the authorities though. I looked her up recently. She had trouble in school, but I am guessing that was for logical reasons given what we know used to be her calling," Hank said.

"So how long does she have wear the bandages?" Charles asked.

"At least a few weeks. I will come back and check on her regularly," Hank said.

Charles looked up at Hank in surprise. He sensed a strong affection for Buffy in the blue furred man. "You like her," Charles said.

"Yes. She had no problems with my furry state from the first moment she saw me and I understand from Kurt that she treats him like a normal person as well. I have to say not many people are capable of that even here," Hank admitted.

"I believe her past experiences has made her open to such physical differences and shall we call it the strangeness of mutant life. That will be an asset to her in the future. Ah she is waking," Charles sensed Buffy's energy output increasing slowly.

Hank looked over the monitors and said. "I have her on several forms of pain medication, but let's go talk to her anyway."

-------

Buffy slowly inched open her eyes and looked around. She was in the X-Men infirmary. She heard the Professor's wheelchair approach and turned her head towards him. Her head was swimming and faint feelings of pain registered from her chest, hands and ears. The last thing she remembered was taking off to get away from Esme and the energy the traitor had been pumping into her.

"Are you feeling any pain?" Professor Xavier asked.

"Some but not a lot," she admitted.

"We have to get a better look at your physiology, Miss Summers. You're shaking off the pain killers faster than I expected," Hank's voice said from her right, but glanced around and looked at the furry doctor.

"Hi Hank. That sounded like I was just assigned labrat homework," Buffy quipped.

"Buffy, about what happened at the hospital," Xavier said.

Buffy slowly turned her attention back to the Professor. "Did I get the school in trouble?" she asked.

"No, after you wisely moved your explosion into the air, the damage was limited enough that I with Kitty's help was able to put all the blame on Esme," Xavier explained.

"Poor Esme. Isn't she still going to cause all of us trouble?" Buffy asked.

The Professor sighed and looked into his lap.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, as I told you once using telepathy on you is very dangerous to the telepath. I made sure to warn all the psionic students at the school including Esme, who apparently ignored that and still tried to exert her power on you. I am afraid the feedback killed her. But it is not your fault," the Professor said with a look like he was afraid she'd breakdown on hearing this.

Buffy felt remorse and pity go through her mind. She felt very sad, but the part of her that was an ex-Slayer told her to stop feeling sorry about her enemy committing suicide. Her eyes watered but not for long. She hadn't known Esme well and it was clear the girl had been a traitor who had mind manipulated her way through the entire school. That seemed to dull the sadness within moment. Buffy was left with some lingering doubts but she realized that it hadn't been her fault anyway. "That's sad. I am sorry for her... What about her family?"

"Her family had turned their backs on Esme a few years ago according to what she told us. However she lied about the reason. I contacted them earlier to give them the sad news, but they while distraught didn't seem too surprised to hear the bad news, apparently Esme had run away from home a long time ago and had not left on good terms with her parents or sisters," the Professor explained.

"Oh," Buffy said while in her mind she was already moving on to other and to her more important concerns. She remembered that Esme had claimed to be manipulating the entire school, she decided to ask the professor about it. "Professor, Esme told Mystique while I was listening in that she had been manipulating the entire school, planting things in people's minds," Buffy said.

"I was fearing something like that. The tensions have been running high lately. I was putting it down to after effects of what happened before the summer but clearly I was wrong. I will have to be even more careful in the future. I will be setting up some therapy session with everyone to make sure there is no lasting damage. That includes you young lady. Your experience might leave you with some issues," the Professor said.

"You just can't wait to get in my head even if you can't read my mind, huh," Buffy commented and looked around. "How long am I in for?" She asked still not cured of her dislike of hospitals even after having worked at one.

"At least a few days, my dear. I want to keep you off your feet. And we have to keep your wounds very clean. They are deep. Compounded with the fractured ribs you won't be leaving this bed for a few days and it'll be weeks before you're back to normal even if you like many other mutants is made of hardier stuff than most regular humans," Hank explained.

"My bed upstairs would be better," Buffy argued, but she knew from the looks of both her elders that no manner of arguing would get her out of the bed.

-------

Charles was in deep thought as his idle hand guided his wheelchair down the halls towards Cerebro. He wanted to do a check for Mystique to see if the woman was lingering nearby. She might be feeling vindictive and he didn't want to take any chances of her sneaking in to get to Buffy. His inattention had caused too much grief already. And after he had looked for Mystique he would set about expunging the influence of Esme Frost on his school. He idly wondered if Eric had agreed to what she had done and to his chagrin realized that he could no longer understand Eric well enough to decide if he would allow wholesale mind manipulation of other mutants as a weapon or not.

"Professor," a deep voice called for his attention as he passed the elevator doors. Charles turned his head and looked up at the tall and muscular shape of his Russian student.

"Yes, Peter," the Professor asked noticing that next to Peter three contrite looking teenage girls filled up the elevator. Kitty, Rogue and Jubilee was filling up the rest of the elevator.

"How is she?" Peter asked. The gentle giant had carried Buffy back from the hospital and Charles sensed that the big Russian teenager with the artistic streak had feelings of some sort for Buffy.

"Quite the crowd," Charles commented before answering. "She is awake and recovering. There is considerable pain and apparently she misses something called Slayer healing, but she is capable of receiving a few visitors if they will promise not to stress her or touch her. We're trying to avoid Buffy getting an infection."

The group nodded and got out of the elevator as Charles moved along.

"I have to ask," Charles said as he commanded his chair to turn.

The group turned and looked at him.

"Why are you looking so upset? I have the impression none of you have reasons to be sad unless it is Esme you're mourning," Charles said keeping his tone serious and somber.

Kitty looked him directly in the eyes, Charles could literally feel the hatred against Esme seething in there and Kitty said, "We're not sad about her. She made us do things. Upstairs Professor people have no idea what has been happening. Everyone's afraid to admit it, but we all think it. Esme has made every thought in our heads these last months suspect. And us four she made -- and I am sure of this -- She made us turn against Buffy because Esme couldn't stand her. She did it of her own free will and with malicious intent. She doesn't deserve any mourning. We're sad because we have to apologize to Buffy for being so hard on her recently. Also sir I think you should let Singer and Dream visit Buffy. They're upstairs and although they don't understand why they've been ignoring Buffy for a while now, they seem to want to see her pretty badly right now."

"I will arrange it. You go ahead. And my friends. In the future you can rest assured that I will protect you from more attempts like this and train you to recognize and resist it better," he promised with fervor.

"Thank you sir," Peter said as the group turned and headed for the infirmary.

-------

Mystique guessed that she was making a mistake by traveling as directly as she was. Going straight for their hideout worried her even if Eric had reassured her that the device he had made to disrupt the EM field around her car would prevent detection by Xavier's cerebro machine. She hated going back to their temporary base with bad news for one of the best of their new generation of recruits. And she wondered how much she wanted to tell him. She liked Triage a lot more than Pyro and his friend Avalanche. Triage would become a good man for the cause probably even a leader one day. Pyro and Avalanche were mostly muscle. Thugs that were enthralled by their own power and the terror they could cause instead of thinking of their greater purpose. Raven wanted a world where she could walk around without people hating her for her looks. A world of equality and if that was a world without humans that was just evolutionary fate. Her resolve was like steel unbreakable in her own reckoning. But Triage for all his newfound hatred for humanity hadn't cut off all his bonds with the world. Although he didn't know that himself.

Magneto and Mystique had discovered recently that the Buffy Summers, Triage had asked them to find and they had told him was dead, was the same Buffy Summers that Esme had reported being one of the latest star pupils at Xavier's school. They had not told Triage about this just yet because they were unsure how close the young man had been with someone Esme was reporting was clearly allied with the X-Men.

But now Raven wondered if she could sever that tie and maybe even show Triage that Magneto's side was the only one for him. His great powers were too useful to just let go easily especially when those powers came attached to a young man with the potential for leadership that she and Eric saw in Alexander Harris. "Now I can convince him," Raven decided.

She drove up the gravel path to the house and saw that Triage was the guard. He waved at her applying his latest trick that enabled him to recognize life signs like hers even though she was in a different shape than usual. Raven decided not to wave back. She didn't want to seem happy. She wasn't exactly broken up over Esme Frost's death the girl had brought it on herself in Raven's opinion, but for now it was more important what Triage thought of her. Raven parked the car and got out.

Triage approached with a smile. "We weren't told to expect you here yet," he said giving Raven a welcoming smile. She avoided smiling back.

"There has been a problem. I met with Esme at the hospital she was allowed to volunteer at but one of Xavier's students overheard us. I am afraid I was negligent. We tried to capture the student so that Esme could just change her memories but in the process the girl reveal her massive powers. Esme fought back but that turned out to be even worse. The girl from Xavier's killed her, burned out Esme's mind using her own psionic powers. I was unconscious from earlier in the fight. I am so sorry. Triage... Esme is dead," Raven said.

Triage looked completely shocked. "A... mutant killed her. Just like that. Why would they do that?" Raven could see the anger in the boy's eyes.

"I think they had some sort of personal feud going. Apparently the girl, Buffy I think her name was, thought highly of herself and had made an enemy Esme and indeed a lot of the other students. Esme had mentioned in her earlier reports that this Buffy was a fanatic to the point of being dangerous and apparently willing to kill for Xavier's ideas," Raven tried to spin the story just right to make sure that not even rumor could easily be turned against them later.

"Buffy? Her name was Buffy like my old human friend," Triage asked.

"Triage. It is her. Magneto told me before I headed out to meet Esme. I had originally planned to come up here after meeting Esme to ask you if you thought we could convince this girl to join us. But now I am not so sure that's a good idea. She certainly acts like she'd rather look the other way even hurting her fellow Homo Superior in the name of her teacher," Raven said.

"But Buffy can't be a mutant. She was never one before," Triage said his face both shocked and slightly distrustful.

"She wasn't. According to what we know she developed her powers this summer and has spent her time since then on the run because it would appear as if the first time she used her powers she blew up her father's house. So it has not been a long time," Raven said.

Triage put his face into his hands and turned to look out over the forest again. After several minutes he yelled in anger, spread his arms wide and kicked the ground. Then he knelt down and pounded the ground. "That bitch," Triage mumbled before getting back up onto his feet.

"You're right. We shouldn't try and recruit her. Buffy is used to following teachers' orders even to the point of killing for them. I always thought she was a hero. Turns out she is just a killer. We'd do better without her," Triage said. Raven could see the grief on his face. What she had done It was a gamble on her part. She wasn't entirely sure Eric didn't want to try and recruit this Buffy Summers one day anyhow. If the girl had survived her rather explosive meeting with Esme intact Eric might well be interested. However for now she was content to just use this event to cement Triage's loyalties.


	10. Days that matter, day 3

**Days that matter, Day 3**

It surprised Buffy that concrete could actually spray like water if hit with enough force as she ran for dear life. Buffy rolled over the edge of a tumbled down building block that still included a few still intact window panes and slid to a stop next to Kitty and Peter who had taken cover from the unrelenting laser fire from the gigantic robot attacking them. It was supposedly something the US government had planned to use to hunt mutants. The Professor had included them in their more dangerous team training sessions ever since he and Hank had discovered the plans at the Department of Mutant Affairs.

"So head on attacks only makes it angry," Buffy yelled over the noise. They had tried that tactic to no avail.

"It adapted to your plan," Wolverine yelled back from somewhere nearby. A huge chunk of her cover blew off sending shrapnel raking across Buffy's energy sheath and Colossus skin. Kitty was out of phase and had been for a while.

Buffy glanced across to where Wolverine was hunkered down with Nightcrawler, Rogue and Iceman. Logan looked about ready to make another charge at the thing. Considering that the win scenario was that they got out without anyone dying for real or in the computer's opinion Buffy didn't approve of Logan's intentions no matter how hard his skeleton was supposed to be. Besides she was supposed to be in charge this week. Buffy looked down at Peter and Kitty. "Shadowcat, do you think that thing will get zapped if you pass through it?" she asked.

Kitty looked up and nodded, "I'd have to go through the head before it puts up a force field."

"No problem. Pet... Colossus throw Shadowcat at its head. We'll distract it," Buffy said.

Buffy turned and raised her voice. "Nightcrawler hang back. Everyone else attack it. Head on. Now!" Buffy yelled, while stepping back and turning to get a better view of the looming thing against the faked night sky Buffy reignited her fire to full light and launched her strongest bolt of force at the gigantic robot immediately after. Iceman followed her example by super cooling the air making the area ultra dry as ice appeared over the entire robot while Wolverine charged with a bellow.

The robot could take the damage from her and Iceman's attacks but the hits along with Wolverine charging at the thing's feet distracted it just enough. Kitty flew through its head and the robot's joints and mouth immediately emitted a shower of sparks. "Nightcrawler, retrieve Shadowcat," Buffy yelled while Kitty headed into the night sky.

Kurt disappeared and reappeared several times as he ascended towards Kitty then reappeared a few teleports later carrying Kitty. The robot fell over and Wolverine immediate shredded its neck severing the head to make it didn't get back up like the one they had thought they had defeated in last week's simulation.

There was a chime and the holographics and force fields started to fade. Buffy as always barely managed to hide her surprise at the incredible abilities of the Danger Room before a cold hand padded her on her back.

"That was excellently played, Dwarfstar," Iceman said.

Buffy paused and turned towards Iceman, while Rogue and Kitty giggled. "What did you just call me?" Buffy asked.

"Dwarfstar, I think that would be very fitting. Don't you," Bobby tried to complete his sentence but broke down in laughter instead. "Okay, okay, I give, don't hit me. It is just a joke," he said as Buffy took a threatening step towards him but even she was smiling a little.

"That is just not going to be my codename. I swear I will leave and join the Peace corps or something," Buffy argued.

"It is not, but it is time you came up with one," Rogue said. "People are talking about giving you one if you don't do it yourself," she continued.

Buffy glanced to Kitty who nodded. "Fine, I'll figure one out," she said.

"You did well today, Buffy," Cyclops said as he met them at the door. With the Professor visiting Hank again as he still did often to offer his aid and opinions to the government, Scott was practically in charge of the school but the man seemed to be thriving in the position so no one was complaining.

"Thanks, Scott," Buffy said while heading for the girls changing room.

Ever since she had recovered from her wounds and the Esme thing had calmed down Buffy had apparently rated her own X-girl suit just like Kitty and Rogue. They each had their own trim on the black leather, Kitty's in red, Rogue in green and Buffy in white. Buffy would have scoffed at the costume if they weren't a bit like soldier uniforms. A practical piece of clothing and that also had grown to have a small symbolic value even to Buffy. Outside winter was approaching. They had the first snow fall weeks back and Buffy was trying to get her head around having a Christmas without her mom which was sad. But in safety and maybe, if they could convince Ororo come the actual night before and days after, even with snow. Life was not bad. She missed her mom something fierce. Angel, Willow, Xander and Giles were also almost equally high on the much missed list, but at least Buffy was capable of feeling both happy and safe. She tried not thinking about her dad. Xavier had mentioned that he believed that he could soon contact her mom and tell her.

"So do you even have any ideas?" Kitty asked as she slipped inside. Buffy guessed Rogue and Bobby was busy with each other as the other girl hadn't come into the girl's locker room yet.

"For my codename? No. I don't go around thinking: Uh today I want to come up with a superhero name for myself. I mean I am not Spider-man. Although I am not sure how much thought went into that name either. I get why we need them and I will come up with one, but I haven't thought about it before. You know I think we should go to New York and meet Spider Guy he might be cute under his mask," Buffy replied.

"Forget about the whim of the moment. You know I had several codenames before I settled on Shadowcat. I was even considering Sprite at one point," Kitty said.

"Aw I bet Storm loved that. Her Kitty calling herself Sprite. But really your codename is perfect the way it is," Buffy said.

"Yeah, I think so too," Kitty paused and sat on one of the benches.

Buffy bathed and came back out and started getting dressed in slacks. "Buffy, would you ever consider becoming a full-time X-Men member?" she asked as Buffy finished putting on a shirt.

Buffy swept a hoodie over her head and looked at Kitty. "Yeah, I think I will be. I am not all idealistic like Bobby. But if the other option is all out war in some sort of us against them thing then a sort of mutant group that is both self-defense against the humans and police force against bad mutants is needed. But I think that maybe the government should also be involved you know with us Americans having laws and all that," Buffy said and paused to think before saying, "It's funny. I actually thought I'd become a kindergarten teacher or something like that when I was younger. I think that might not be the way things are going to go."

"Why not?" Kitty asked.

"Don't tell anyone but after I stopped being the Slayer and for a long time I was just hiding or running and I hated it. Even when I came here and just studied it only felt right when I was going stuff in the danger room. I kept feeling like I was lying to myself. I am meant to be there where the action is. I guess I am a fighter... Of course if you call me butch I might be convinced to demonstrate moves and stuff," Buffy admitted.

Buffy looked at Kitty's reflection in the mirror who nodded. "Me too. About the fighter thing. I think I've always been. At least I've always been striving not to take the easy way out. I want other things too just like you. Boyfriends, love, nice clothes, happiness, but at the end of the day I am still a fighter. I would never just stand idly by when people who can't be get pummeled by bullies or worse," Kitty said.

Buffy turned and smiled. "I guess we have a lot in common. So do you think that Peter will ask me out before Christmas or do I have to wait even longer before mister shy gets over his issues," Buffy said.

Kitty smiled. "I think Peter might never get over that. He is a farmboy from Russia who was taught to do the right thing according to his faith. You just have to put the moves on him yourself. We're in the 21st century. You're allowed to make the boy take you out on a date," Kitty said.

"And you're still cool with that?" Buffy asked.

"Of course I am. I've had all from the Russian that I want. I am pining remember," Kitty said.

"Logan? Give up already even if he is so much salty goodness. He wouldn't date any of us girls. He'd never live it down," Buffy replied.

"Not for Logan, because you're right. I haven't decided who it is yet... You know we need more eligible boy material in our age bracket at the school, but all the boys here are like 14 or 15 and I'll be damned if I am cradle-robbing at my age," Kitty said.

"That's it, no more Sex in the City reruns for you, because if you mention it you have thought about it," Buffy said with a laugh before heading out.

------

The metallic footsteps grew louder. Tony looked up and smirked as his protégé walked up the stairs in what looked like a ruby colored slimmer bottom half of the Iron Man suit. "I would say that looks like another successful test completed," he commented.

"Tony," Willow yelled and ran over giving him a hug. The noise was shocking. Tony fought down the notion to push the girl, that he definitely had no intentions of ever bedding down, away. Besides Tony had no illusions that several hundred heat-seeking missiles would accidentally be fired off at Iron-Man the day Nick Fury even hear a rumor Tony had played around with Willow. The old General apparently had a soft spot for the bubbly red head.

"So what do you think?" Willow said and turned around.

"Ruby and white?" he asked.

"The Ruby is that new ceramic material Stark Enterprises have come up with for starship shielding and the white is because I liked the color combination," Willow commented.

"So what are you doing about power supply, since you can move around without the power assembly I normally have in the chest plate," Tony asked wondering slightly.

Willow blushed slightly. "Well you know I looked at your arc reactor thingy and I know you don't like sharing the full blown version with neither me nor SHIELD but I kinda figured out how to make a weaker but really small arc reactor. I've placed a couple distributed through out the superstructure of my suit. One can't power the suit alone but if one damaged or drained once I am done with the full suit I will still have enough power to fly and keep the defenses running using the rest. I haven't decided how many I am building in and I'll still need a heavier unit from you which I'll be putting in the backpack for any offensive systems," Willow explained.

Tony looked at her blinked then laughed. "That is wonderful Willow. Good thinking. Good engineering is always redundant and tries to be resistant to faults. You won't mind if I copy that idea for my suit do you?"

"Of course not. I would never have known half the science or how to engineer any of this if you hadn't shown me... Tony, I think I am going to be bored at college if Nick lets me go," Willow said.

Tony frowned for a moment. "Of course he is going to let you go. There will be some restrictions and probably a false identity involved but I doubt it will be a problem. And about getting bored don't worry about that. There is a lot of the basics and even other sciences that I can't teach you about so I am sure you can enjoy college. And remember college is not just about the studying, it is just as much about the partying and the social stuff. If you miss out on that you've missed out on a huge part of the college experience. You're too smart to do that right?"

Willow nodded but Tony wasn't sure he believed her. Suddenly Pepper walked in, talking on the phone. Tony tried remembering if he had forgotten any important announcements but he couldn't come up with any.

"Yes, I will make sure to tell him Mr. Fujikawa. Goodbye Mr. Fujikawa," Pepper said and snapped her phone shut.

"Sir, I wanted to remind you that the jet for Japan will be ready in two hours," Pepper said.

Tony suddenly remembered that he was in negotiations with a Japanese consortium for the rights to their patents on technologies that would advance his quinjet technology allowing Stark Enterprises to make planes that could take off from an airport and fly into space and back without the use of rocket fuel. It would be a huge step for the space industry and shore up his finances as he moved away from weapon production. "Of course, thank you Miss Potts," Tony said remembering that special smirk that he felt ensured that Pepper knew he appreciated her and her work. He reminded himself that he should tell her to give herself a raise again soon.

"What are those?" Pepper asked looking at Willow's suspiciously armored legs.

"Just an experiment Willow is helping me with. Morphic metal so that I won't have to customize or change every armor I put on, if I have -- you know -- put on something else," Tony said and gestured in front of his gut.

Willow tried and probably failed at looking innocent, but Tony thought it looked like Pepper had bought their little lie.

"We'd better get it off her so I can test if it has worked out right," Tony said and gestured for Willow to follow him into the basement.

"Yeah, because I am pretty sure the Senate and SHIELD have all said that you have to run the creation of any new Iron-Men by them first," Pepper called out.

"Of course I will. If I make any new Iron Men aside from the one they ordered I will run it by past the government," Tony said.

When Pepper was out of earshot Willow turned to him and said, "But no one said anything about Iron Women did they?" Tony was proud that Willow had learned so much from him already as he nodded.

------

Willow felt the lurch as her suit arrived back in her time. She quickly glanced around her lair but saw no evidence of the time line changing. "Jarvis, hook up with Seer and find out if we've changed anything," Willow ordered not daring to disengage her suit just yet. She had to be certain that everything was in order on every return.

Willow looked around for Tony the android, but all she saw was the completely obliterated and melted remains of the north wall of her hideout. Sparks occasionally flew from severed power lines. A single source of light caught her eye. One of the two spare arc reactors for the time jump system she had told Tony to have ready. "Miss, I am unable to reach Seer. I believe she has gone offline along with my main systems, I am able to reach the lunar backup stores but at the moment that is all. I will contact the lunar Seer and compare databases," Jarvis reported.

"Welcome back," a female voice that was definitely not the voice of Tony. It was strange almost as if coming from every corner of the room. Suddenly her psi-shield and the main force field headed for their red lines while her mutant detection system blared it highest alerts. Ragnarok appeared into existence probably having hidden in the Astral plane. Like a white star of fire Ragnarok hovered in the room while paper and loose objects was flung around the room by the telekinetic eddies of the arrival.

"Buffy," Willow said in shock. She immediately assessed her power levels. Her psi-shield was holding but if her former friend attacked Willow doubted she could survive many seconds before running out of power. She did however have an untested option. She mentally directed the suit to boot up the experimental power converters Willow had fitted long ago but never tested. They were meant to fill her batteries from residual energy. Willow hoped Ragnarok would inadvertently give off enough before she realized that Willow wasn't physically shielding herself.

Ragnarok cocked its head and said, "It's been years since you've said my name without it being screamed in anger."

Willow wondered why the usually so angry mutant wasn't attacking already. Since her escape from custody Ragnarok had been almost like a rampaging bull each time they met.

"I was so fortunate. One of the kids we rescued from the death camps was able to penetrate your encryption, walk through your computer networks and discover your location. And I just had to ask her. Imagine how glad I was that you had a hidden base underground just outside the Sunnydale crater. In the middle of the entire warzone, with chaos and destruction all around you were safely tucked down here. I of course had to visit my dear old friend again. I mean the last time I saw you was on one of those propaganda reels they send out all the time now. It was a nice show you looked good. Iron Woman defeats and kills mutant scum as they try to escape their concentration camp and avoid getting gassed. Oh, that wasn't what they said, but you and I both know that was what you were doing. Imagine me coming here all full of righteous anger and then this was made to tell me everything thanks to the same girl that found you," Buffy clapped a hand to Willow's computer interface. Willow felt like her stomach was in knots. This could be bad. Her terminal had access to a lot of the few remaining stable US and UN intelligence and military networks. It could be a killing blow to all of them.

"You're trying to save us. Me and Xander. From ourselves," Buffy said, her tone becoming contemplative. Still she was glowing like a glowing star.

"If I can stop you two DC won't be destroyed and then we can work through the rest of the bullshit. Neither of you would be mass murderers," Willow said immediately wondering if she finally had made some headway with Buffy even without going back to the day that started everything.

"I was made into one!" Ragnarok yelled. Willow's psi-screen in her suit failed momentarily then restored itself. Willow gasped she had nearly died. She couldn't let down her guard.

Willow switched to internal voice only for a moment, "Jarvis, start plotting a jump back to at least two days before the Washington event. And hurry."

"Yes, miss," Jarvis replied.

Willow switched back to external speakers and said, "I know. You weren't to fault for what happened in DC. I know this Buffy. They caught you and then they tortured you. They tortured you for so long. I've tried to tell you I was sorry before. I know they killed your body again and again just to see if you would actually die for real. Die for an event you were not guilty of. I have read the studies, seen the tapes and heard the testimonies. We know a lot about you but a lot less about what and where Xander was until the moment you met. I think I understand why you were angry when you got out. But that doesn't excuse your actions since then. You've committed repeated mass murders since then. You've attacked your own nation willfully and aided malicious terrorists in doing the same. Just last week you obliterated a military base including all the civilians living nearby. No one survived neither man, woman, child or even their dogs. That is just not okay."

Ragnarok looked at Willow for a moment. The tone of the fire changed for a moment before flaring again. "They stripped me of my body Willow. I am nothing more than fire, anger and memories now. I got free from the hell they had built for me and what did I find. A country having become its own worst nightmare. The US was acting like Germany in World War Two had the right idea but the wrong target. There are extermination camps out there. What was I or the other mutants supposed to do? They had made us into enemies. The law says so. Illegal to exist. Of course we've been fighting back. And don't give me the entire mass murderer speech either. If I am that then so is every soldier in a war. I am no worse than a bomber pilot it is just that I am using myself as the bomb. The US nuked Japan. Now I am nuking you. The US and the UN are more stubborn than they were back then, but we will win, because just like you were in the right then, we are in the right now. If it is a choice between death so that the humans can keep killing their own offspring and fighting back. I choose to fight back and kill my enemy. You do the same. Xavier's dream of peaceful but guarded coexistence died in Washington Willow. Now all we can do is to fight the fight until the bitter end."

"You weren't in a battle when you hit the East Coast. Women and children, churches and hospitals Buffy, you killed indiscriminately. You could have hit the battlefield instead," Willow argued while watching her energy stores filling from the residual energy given off by Ragnarok.

"Yeah, because there are no innocent women and children getting murdered in those camps then. I am just giving back. And besides you humans aren't manning the tanks and shooting at us yourself are you? No, you've built an army of killer robots so that you don't have to wipe us out ourselves, you can just leave it to the machines and not see the horrors you commit, when one of those women or children is shot and killed because they were on the schedule for the day," Ragnarok argued.

"I know I am trying to change things. This is not sanctioned. No one not even Giles knows what I am doing," Willow said and paused at an impasse. She wanted to keep Ragnarok talking to get ready to jump out but the process took a lot of time and the energy converter had not worked as well as planned.

"Miss, I finally connected to my backup. The Seer program running on the Moon reports that aside from minor differences in the time stream very little has changed about the main problematic events," Jarvis reported.

"I have read it all. What I don't get is why you haven't just jumped right up to me or Xander just told us what was going on with us. What was going to happen. I didn't kill Esme Frost on purpose. If Xander knew that maybe he wouldn't have hurt me in DC," Ragnarok explained.

"I have not spoken to Xander since Sunnydale. No one knows exactly what happened with him before he attack you and after well you know he not the same any more so I can really go and ask him now can I? No, you don't understand why I have done all of this. It is not like you and I have been fighting for years now. I just didn't trust you any more. And maybe that was a big mistake. You know that I thought about just killing you or Xander, but I couldn't. I have never been close friends with anyone else but you and Xander. I've had Tony and Nick, but they were so much older that the connection wasn't the same. I've had girlfriends but honestly that never lasted beyond a few weeks. If I went up to you and it failed that's it. If it does the next time I go. That's it. You're warned and I might retroactively be unable to travel through time. Or worse you could have killed me. I remembered you as you are now. I had forgotten who you were and that is my mistake. So I have been trying to influence things from the outside and that was a mistake. Now I have to act an I will," Willow explained.

"Willow, if you can't stop Xander, jump back again and make sure I don't go to Washington. Let someone else be the opening shot of the war," Ragnarok said. Buffy's face formed in the roiling flames.

"Ragnarok? Buffy?" Willow asked in surprise. Ragnarok had looked and sounded almost friendly for a moment there.

"Go! Try and fix things. I'll await your return here and if you fail then you and I will just have to discuss why you can accept killing innocent mutant children," Ragnarok said and picked up a spare arc reactor from the floor. Willow realized it had rested in the shattered remains of Tony's right hand. The arm of fire tossed it carefully up to Willow.

Willow looked at Ragnarok, had her suit analyze the reactor for traps and found none. She inserted it into the back loader. Her power counter jumped up to above normal levels. She was both safe and ready for her jump. Willow shut the energy converter off and set her shields back to full power.

"Goodbye Buffy," Willow said as the indicators showed the jump was calculated and the power available.

"Good luck," Buffy replied.

------

The entire rec room was buzzing when Scott stepped inside. There was some sort of foosball tournament ongoing between a bunch of the teen boys. Marie and Bobby were chatting and holding hands in one of the sofas near the media center where a lot of the kids were sitting down to play with the Playstation 3. Scott noted a few students who should be in their rooms studying but looked for his primary target first. Kitty, Buffy and Peter were sitting close together Buffy leaning against Peter reading a folder while Kitty talked to the clearly uncomfortably warm Peter. Scott however was sure that Peter would rather melt than tell the blond leaning against him to move. With a smile he headed over to the group.

"Hey you three. Marie, Bobby, Ororo and Kurt are in charge of the school this weekend while Logan and I go to pickup the Professor in DC. Hank really wants to show off his fancy offices and stuff to us too so I guess we're going for a bit of sightseeing Friday. So I thought since you haven't been off the grounds in a while, I thought you might want to come along," Scott offered.

Buffy nodded vigorously. It was Kitty who answered, "We'd love to."

"Good, be ready to leave early tomorrow morning. We're driving down and it is a six hour drive," he said.

"We will," Peter promised.

------

Willow smiled at the floating hologram in front of her. She was getting closer to the final design for her suit prototype. It was a fascinating thing to work on. Working on this stuff was mind expanding.

"Miss M... M... M..." Jarvis' voice suddenly stammered then the lights flickered out followed by the power for the computer. Willow was engulfed by darkness.

"Jarvis?" Willow looked around and suddenly Sunnydale instincts made a shiver run up her spine. The entrance to Tony's garage where she was working was creaking.

Willow tried to remember if there was anything she could use as a weapon. She couldn't run upstairs with the power off. The door required electric power to be opened and she had kept it locked.

The metal sheath that Willow figured wasn't just some sort of tinfoil suddenly ripped. A large outline stood against the faint moonlight that managed to shine down the ramp. The figure stepped forward. The sound was a familiar metal on stone sound.

"T-Tony," Willow asked.

"No," an electronically altered voice replied. A light shone from within the armor that unerringly approached Willow. She figured the armor had Infrared sensors in the helmet. There was no point in running instead she tried to figure out some way to quickly make a heat flash but couldn't quite remember where she had put the plasma lance.

"No need to be afraid. I disabled Jarvis and the internal sensors so that you and I can have a little talk. Later you'll tell Tony that the hole in the door as well as the black out was an arc mini-reactor misfire causing an EMP something that you will experience anyway unless you add more lead to the alloy you're using to seal the inner arc ring. You've miscalculated by a single digit and you forgot to have Jarvis check the numbers for you. But it is okay. You'll learn to be more careful," the voice said as the figure stopped looming in front of Willow the white light from within the mask giving the armor an eerie look. Willow judged it to be a lot like a very bulky version of Tony's current design and all the bulk looked like additional power conduits and armor as well as weapon mounts. This was a suit not for fighting a few Afghan rebels with conventional weapons. It was meant for something else something worse. It was practically humming with power.

"You're thinking. Who is this? Is Tony pulling the fast one on you. You'd be wrong," the helmet opened revealing a blue illuminated face. Her face. Her older face with shorter hair and a nose piercing. A small stud was in her nose. Willow thought she looked tired.

"You're supposed to be me," Willow said to her supposedly future self.

"A potential future you yes. I am from the future you're heading for right now. It's a future that can thankfully still be changed. Listen I am trying to cheat destiny here. Originally I didn't appear to myself, so I guess this way I might actually make a difference no matter what happens elsewhere. I am going to explain some things to you and give you some tips. It's up to you to follow them or not, but if you don't a lot of people are going to die and you'll know those doing the killing," Future Willow said.

"Why don't you tell me details about who it is?" Willow asked.

"I will get to that in a moment. As soon as you're able you need to do is to get out from under SHIELD's thumb. Fury is a good guy, but he won't be in charge all the time and the replacements are real pieces of shit that will force you to do things like you have signed up for the worst kind of military service. Have Tony help you, he'll come up with a method," Future Willow suggested.

"Then there is Buffy and Xander. You've been too focused on this entire Iron Tech thing. By all means continue to build power suits, you might just need them to survive and help other people do the same. I am a regular celebrated superhero now, because I kept my head down and worked here, but doing that meant that a lot of shit happened that I could have made a pretty big difference in. Try doing stuff outside the lab and take charge, you'll like it. But you also need to find and mend fences with both of them. Xander won't be easy. He is really angry and with good reason for the most part. You used to focus on him, and I understand that with your legs you got distracted. I am you remember. And I've regretted that later. Buffy is easier. She was not at fault for anything regarding your legs not even indirectly. Also she is not angry at humanity yet. Mankind and mutants need to work together. And yes I know you haven't been entirely certain that it is the truth that Buffy is a mutant. She is. A powerful one just like Xander. Buffy and Xander are just like you really important in the future. And I can't stop them from going where their destiny is leading them they will be remembered along with people like Hitler," Future Willow explained.

"What did they do in your future?" Willow asked.

"They fought each other and something bad happened. People got scared so before I or anyone else blinked we had given the keys to the kingdom over to the worst kind of bigots and soon after the mutants were forced to do the same. And I was working for SHIELD. I was given the choice. Either do the jobs or give up both the armor and my mobility. So I've had to protect concentration camps for mutants and keep all prisoners in them. Just because the alternative was adding more soldiers to the forces eradicating the US and in fact the world one nation at a time. And don't kid yourself. Yes, we outnumber the mutants, but they have more firepower. Every camp we made and they freed added more deadly soldiers to their ranks. No, Buffy and Xander can't be allowed their fight. And I am going to Washington tomorrow to stop that. But if I fail, you'll have to fix things. They'll try to hurt Buffy after. That must not be allowed to go on for long. They'll be keeping her in a place called Neverland Two. It is just outside Austin, Texas hidden as a Ranch owned by the Trask family. You'd have to get Buffy out of there. Xander will survive, get away and hide in Toronto staying the East Gate Hotel that is all I know. You should have time to get Buffy first and then get to him. But there is a guy after Xander, a very scary guy, who wants to brainwash him and make him into a weapon something called a Horseman of the Apocalypse. If you don't stop that Xander won't even care if he slaughters innocent children any more. He won't be in control of himself anymore. You have to prevent that. In fact that could be something for you and Buffy to bond over. Do you understand?" Future Willow said.

Willow nodded.

"Good listen I've stored a couple of inventions and blueprints on this memory stick. With them you can build a suit a lot like mine that will allow you to do the things I suggested. There is also a couple of pretty scary weapons in there that will allow you to fight, but you have to promise me you won't show or mention them to Tony. You can't even show them to Jarvis yet. The current version tells everything you do to Tony. I know you know this. But you don't know how Tony does it. It's simple really. He has an operating system running below Jarvis that Jarvis is not aware of that can read all his files. You weren't going to find out about that for years. Tony is very devious Willow and since his father's best friend and the man that helped raise him betrayed him he has become obsessed with preparing for betrayal and any eventuality even you betraying him. In half a year you'd spot that he had built a software off-switch into your suit and in a few years you'd spot the hardware flaws he has made sure is there just in case. All the stuff he makes now has cut-off switches, secret backdoors and plans within plans. You need to know that and learn to do like him but also avoid his traps. It is the only way to survive in the world you hacked yourself into. SHIELD is an intelligence agency that makes even the CIA look like a bunch of school boys. And you're never entirely going to get away from all that all you can do is make sure you're your own woman. Ever since you joined up with General Fury you haven't been in charge of your life," Future Willow rattled off as she handed Willow a regular USB stick.

"Miss, the systems are rebooting within 30 seconds," Jarvis' voice reported from Future Willow's helm.

"I have to go, remember what I told you," Future Willow said and turned. The armor ran forward as the helmet shut and the figure disappeared as if fading away as it ran. For a while there were still the echoes of metallic boots on concrete then those too disappeared. Willow picked up one of her new mini-arc reactors, walked over to the gate and smashed it on the floor in front of the hole.

The lights came back on and Jarvis' voice asked, "Miss Rosenberg is everything alright?"

"Yes, I think my arc reactor overloaded and caused a EM pulse. I am sorry Jarvis," she said.

"That is what my sensor logs indicate as well. Please refrain from more of those please," Jarvis said.

"I think I need you to go over some of my math. I think I need more lead in the alloy on the joining rings," Willow said.

"I would be delighted to help, Miss Rosenberg," Jarvis intoned. Willow nodded but couldn't smile. She was shocked and her mind was whirling. And at the center of all those thoughts was Buffy, Xander and what would happen tomorrow. But her future self was wrong. Willow wasn't just going to sit and wait, be the second line just in case, that much was clear to Willow already. What she couldn't figure out was how to get to Washington with Tony and Pepper in Japan.

------

Xander watched as the rain pelted the road outside their hotel. The hum of Magneto's machine was annoying him. He was getting stir crazy at all of the waiting. They had moved into the hotel in the capitol just yesterday. They had brought Magneto's latest inventions. The silvery cylinders hid their mutant signatures from any detection devices like the one owned by Charles Xavier unless they wandered too far from them. There was one in each of their rooms just to be sure.

"Xavier", there was a person Xander wished he had heard of long ago. Before his dad had started beating on him. Maybe he wouldn't have killed the bastard and his mom by accident. Maybe he wouldn't have been tortured. But at least it meant that he had met Esme, Eric and Raven. Mystique had been very kind to him in the last month since Esme had been killed. And in his opinion for all the evil that studying at Xavier's school would have prevented him from seeing he still believed that now at least he was on the side of those ready to fight for their race. In the city he was watching there were men, detached from the reality of pain their orders and ideas led to, but men nonetheless who were responsible for torture and racial cleansing in the country that outwardly always claimed to be against such things. To Xander his country had lost that luster of heroism that had carried it from the 2nd World War through the Cold War. The USA no longer was the pure hero that he had imagined when he was younger. It was as mired in corrupt politicians as the so-called Old World to speak nothing of Russia and great parts of Asia.

Xander studied the traffic and the few pedestrians braving the rain. His thoughts went Esme and Buffy. Esme was dead and Buffy had clearly been responsible. He had checked on the Internet and officially it had been written off as an accidental death from an unfortunate use of mutant power. There had been no mention of Buffy or Xavier's school just as Mystique had said. Xander had wrestled with one thing though. He knew Buffy, better than he had ever known Esme and Raven. Buffy was scrappy and willing to use violence and even though he had no idea about her mutant power, he had never known Buffy to be willing to kill another human being. Vampires, but not a human. But all the evidence he had pointed to her having done that. Mystique had been right there and Pyro, for all that Xander hated the guy, had told him stories about the hypocrisy of Charles Xavier so Xander wouldn't be surprised if the powerful telepath had used his power to cover things up in Buffy's favor. He wondered how he should regard it all. If Buffy was guilty then she was a murderer, but a nagging voice in his head kept reminding him that so in a way was he. He was however beyond angry with Buffy and so he had not as he had realized was possible contacted her. Xander wasn't sure how he'd react to talking to her even on the phone. Either way it wasn't possible. They were there on a mission and he couldn't risk exposing their presence.

There was a knock on the door. "Enter," Xander called out and turned.

Toad walked in. "Magneto just called. We're going tomorrow. Magneto is flying in but he wants to avoid any early detection systems so he is taking his time. We'll be hitting the Department of Mutant Affairs a little after noon. You, I and Mystique are going to slip inside. We're supposed to make a copy of their databases and then delete the originals. Magneto, Avalanche, Pyro, Sabretooth, Blob and Madrox are going to stage a ruckus outside. Once we have the databases I am going to leave with them, while you and Mystique go deal with Martin Sutter and Zander Rice the guys who operated the government program that was behind the Neverland camp. They're both in the building for meetings tomorrow. Mystique is out at the moment getting us access passes and a review of the security plans in case of a mutant attack," Toad explained. He handed Xander two pictures.

"That's them," Xander asked. Toad nodded.

"They're going to have a very bad day tomorrow," Xander said to himself more than Toad. Xander turned back and looked out the window. Midnight was approaching.


	11. Days that matter, day 4

Days that matter, Day 4

Willow sat in the darkness of late night and wondered what she could do. She had the fabricator under the garage assembling her first power suit based on the blueprints on the memory stick and what she had already finished herself. She had already made sure that Tony's little spy operating system beneath Jarvis had no chance to see or record the files she had used. She needed more time and preparation but she wasn't going to get it. Her counterpart from the future had said she was to rescue Buffy and Xander if things went wrong. That was not a bad idea, but she wasn't going to wait until the bad things had happened. She didn't quite trust her cold seeming future counterpart so she was going to fix things herself. The new suit would be able to get across the continent in time, but only if it was finished in time. Willow tried to put it out of her mind that she really had no idea how to use the suit and with the recent revelation about Jarvis she was unsure about asking him to act as her AI flight attendant either. But she was considering using him temporarily anyway. She would work out a different solution when she had time.

She checked her wristwatch again. It was still hours before the suit assembly would be done. And she had no idea exactly when things would go down. Willow considered getting in touch with Tony, but he was in Tokyo. Nick was another option but she feared that the general would just try to solve the problem with some sort of sniper rifle or misplaced use of violence. She needed to fix things on her own.

* * *

"Come on, Buffy," Kitty yelled.

"Okay, you getting all hyper about going to Washington is just wrong. I get the happy about getting out of here, but the Washington hype just makes me go meh," Buffy replied as she wandered out of the School towards the bus that looked like it didn't just serve for small school excursions. It was large, black and had toned windows giving it an almost menacing look. It had no cute school stickers or logos on the side making Buffy immediately guess that it was loaded with X-Men stuff not just seats that smelled like too many people had been in them over time. Scott stood welcoming them at the bottom of the stairs into the bus.

"This is a bit big for just us ain't it," Buffy asked.

"Well yes and no. It is actually its first excursion and of course its meant for more people. We've bought it for stuff here on the East Coast to keep a lower profile with regards to the US Air Force," Scott replied with a proud smile at the bus.

"Ah less with the missiles, more with the stuck in traffic," Buffy replied.

"It was his idea," Wolverine said immediately as they passed him on the way inside.

Buffy smirked and said, "Noted."

Inside Buffy was greeted by what she had feared on seeing the shady look of the bus. It was like the inside of the X-Jet. All full of closet space probably filled with costumes and other stuff that she could describe as Sci-fi. For all her training in the danger room she had yet to develop the much feared X-girl geek syndrome. The computers meant nothing to her nor could she pilot a jet or as the case might be a bus.

"If we get stopped the highway patrol is going to have so many questions," Buffy said and sat in one of the bucket seats that were for the passengers. It was a window seat just behind Peter.

"Yes, but I am certain our illustrious leader has planned that. I mean that could never happen," Peter deadpanned.

Buffy looked at the big boy in surprise. He wasn't usually this wry. She wondered if she was a bad influence.

"Don't look at me like that. I am Russian. That was Russian humor," he replied.

"I think that was sarcasm. Pretty much a global thing," Kitty replied and sat down across from Buffy. Logan sat opposite Peter and buckled up. It seemed Scott was driving. Buffy yawned.

"I am going to nap on the way so the first one who proposes a road game or starts singing will get punched on the arm," Buffy threatened half-heartedly. Kitty grinned and shrugged before pulling out her tiny laptop to work on something. Wolverine nodded in agreement before looking out the window. Peter had already gotten his sketchbook out as the bus pulled away from the school in the early light of dawn.

* * *

"Miss, the suit is assembled," Jarvis reported. "I would advise further testing before putting it on however. Many of the systems are experimental and there seems to be a distinct lack of adequate software to run them."

"No time, get it on me," Willow said and ran to the assembly pad of the garage. She had very little time to go on.

* * *

The bus rolled up to the dreary looking office building around noon.

"I hope that Hank has dinner ready," Logan grouched. Buffy wondered why the usually so anti-social teacher was actually along for the ride, but couldn't figure it out. Logan was a complicated guy and as he was the target of several of the girls crushes he kept a good distance from them. Rogue said that from what she knew of him Logan was older and smarter than most people knew. He was also downright dangerous when he wanted to be, something Buffy had learned to appreciate. Given her increased strength and endurance from her powers she had been training with him since her arrival and she had already relearned a lot of the martial arts she had lost when the Slayer baton had been passed to some other poor girl. She still lacked in grace and speed from the old days but being almost as strong as Peter in his metallic form and entirely very hard to damage made up for that in her opinion.

They got out and was greeted by several security people all looking rather ominous in their black suits and stone-face expression. Buffy felt like she was in some sort of early Clint Eastwood flick.

"Names?" one of the four bulky suit-wearing types asked.

"I am Scott Summers, this is Logan and those are our students. The Secretary of Mutant Affairs is expecting us," Scott said.

Another of the security guys that had greeted them on the steps of the building tapped Scott's name into a computer and read the reply, "That is right your visit is listed and pre-approved."

He then turned and whispered something to the one who had spoken, who replied, "then delete the entry. I am sorry for the trouble sir, please come this way. You must excuse the security measures. We're moving to better facilities in a few months where we can receive guests at the gate in a less adversarial way, however we had to increase security all federal buildings in the DC area were put on heightened alert this morning." The lead security guy led them in. It seemed to Buffy as they entered that there were two types of security people. The ones like them that had met them and more regular cop-like folk who manned the metal detectors through which they all passed quietly except of course Logan.

"I have a metal plate in my skull," he argued and held out his wallet to the security guy that was leading them inside.

He just waved it aside and told the regular security people, "these people have full access clearance. You will not note their entry or names into your log, you will delete any scans that device makes and yes that includes all those sensors you're not supposed to have installed."

The gray clad security guy at the booth nodded in surprise and did something on his computer. Logan was let around the scanner and cast a glance at Scott then to Buffy's surprise at her. He got closer as they walked. "I think these are people you've met before at the hospital," Logan whispered.

"Salem or Seattle?" she whispered back.

"Both," he replied and Buffy guessed he meant SHIELD.

"What are they doing here?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Logan replied. Buffy nodded and suddenly a nice day spent with friends, meeting Hank and possibly wheedling a kiss out of Peter was looking less likely.

They were led into an elevator which headed up for a while. They arrived at what Buffy guessed as the top floor and went down yet another guarded hallway. These guards all wore the tight blue uniforms Buffy had seen before outside the hospital in Seattle.

"SHIELD?" Kitty said.

"That is correct," the man leading them forward replied, "it was decided that given the possible terrorist threat SHIELD was best suited to guard the important sites in the Capitol," the agent explained and opened a door while stepping aside.

Buffy noted a secretary seated at a desk near the door as well as the title Secretary of Mutant Affairs written on the front. Stepping inside with the rest the group they were greeted by the Professor and Hank. The agent closed the door from the outside.

"Ah it is good to see you all," the Professor said. "How is things at the school?" he continued.

"It's still standing," Logan replied his voice revealing that he was not entirely comfortable with SHIELD around.

"Is this room safe?" Scott asked.

The Professor nodded, "Yes. The SHIELD agents are here to deal with a troubling issue however. An object, which is believed to have been Magneto, was tracked for a few moments by a military system meant to track enemy submarines early this morning. It appeared as if he was heading low across the Mexican Gulf with a course towards Washington DC and his speed was high enough to indicate that he would have arrived an hour or two ago. Hank and I believe that he might be heading here to Washington to either to attack the capitol or announce his long delayed move against the US government for its involvement in the Neverland internment camp incident."

"About time someone did something," Logan commented.

Hank stomped up to stand in front of Logan and said, "And you think my appointment was for nothing or have you not figured out why I have been taking so much of the Professor's time off late. We have been weeding out the elements of the administration aligned with Stryker and his ilk. It has been hard as I am not as established a political entity as many of those we had to move against but except for the Pentagon which at the moment is not penetrable I believe we have found out and gotten rid off all the perpetrators. And if you question my loyalties do not forget that I have broken the law and made sure that the X-Men have full knowledge of the government plans for mutant hunting robots, their blueprints, future development plans and even their storage facilities."

Logan looked defiant as he said, "Then I am sure all those mutants who Magneto freed have to be thankful for something. Of course that doesn't help those who didn't get out in time." Logan turned and walked over to stare out the window.

"This was not how I wanted this day to go," Hank said addressing Buffy, Kitty and Peter. "I wanted to show off the department tell you of the measures the President has helped me put in front of Congress. There is an entire act coming through that would ensure that mutants are affirmed legally to have full rights as any other American under the terms of constitution and that to deny them public service is against the law. However because of the state of the healthcare system I can't say it will help on that front. The insurers make their own laws at the moment," Hank said.

"Hank, I have been unable to detect any of Magneto's allies in the area I do not believe we have a lot to fear. SHIELD claims to have prepared defenses should he strike, so I am sure you can go right ahead with the day you had planned," Xavier said.

"Then let us start with necessity. I know it was a long drive, so I believe it would not go amiss if I offered you lunch," Hank said and even Logan looked interested.

* * *

A small van drove up and parked at the delivery entrance of the government building.

Ruiz nodded to his partner and walked over to the van where three people were busy unpacking what looked like a lot of paper and other office supplies. No delivery had been scheduled so he approached ready to report a potential attack into his lapel mike and with his hand on his gun. Devin his partner stayed back to potentially cover him.

The supervisor of the trio, a dark haired beautiful woman, turned and smiled winningly at him. "Excuse us, we just delivering this today. We were scheduled for tomorrow, but this came in early and we needed to stock room. If there is a problem you could just call in and tell Garret that Hill Supplies is here with tomorrow's shipment early," she said.

Ruiz knew that Garret was the name of the security commander, but he was not some security guard. He was SHIELD, he was not about to let his guard down. Of course when he passed out instead no one could really fault him.

* * *

Xander felt the tingle of fresh energy in his body as the security guy dropped to the concrete completely out of it. Further up the loading dock the other agent was fighting a losing battle to breathe as Toad's spit covered his face. Xander felt the energy flow stop as the agent died.

"Get those two into the van," Mystique said while changing into the face of the agent and picking up his weapon and lapel mike. Toad helped Xander while Mystique reported in that there was nothing amiss at the delivery entrance. Sabretooth got out and looked around.

"Sabretooth stay in the van. Triage that was quick work," Toad said as they lugged Xander's victim into the van.

"Let's not dwell on it. I don't kill for pleasure," Xander said. Toad looked up and nodded. Sabretooth grunted his disapproval. Xander had noticed that occasionally his friend took killing a bit lightly in fact several of Magneto's brotherhood seemed to enjoy violence. All except Magneto himself and maybe Mystique although he wasn't sure that she wasn't just being deceptive. He however still couldn't shake off that he didn't like killing except when it came to people like the bigoted monsters they were there to finish off.

Xander immediately stripped off his overalls and slipped on a jacket. Xander knew he was just a kid, but in a suit while wearing a pair of regular glasses he looked just old enough to not stand out unless he and Mystique were too closely examined.

He ran up to backdoor where Mystique waited leaving Sabretooth and Toad ready to be their backup. She noticed his arrival and slid the access card through an electronic mechanism on the wall before he said anything. "Follow me I know my way around here," Mystique said.

"Been here before?" Xander asked.

"Once or twice," Mystique wearing the shape of the Hispanic agent replied.

They headed into a hallway. Xander wondered if the rest of the group was as tense as he felt. He had been around Europe. For over a month they had discussed, drilled and prepared for this and still he felt like it was the final exams, asking Buffy out knowing he'd be turned down and killing his parents all at once. If everything went as planned Pyro, Avalanche and Blob would start their attack soon, while Madrox got started on his task to infiltrate the Pentagon. Magneto would stay in reserve ready to help the assault team if they needed.

* * *

Pyro looked across the road towards the fence surrounding the place in which his people's extermination had probably already been planned. There were new guards at the gate. Probably some sort of better than normal agents put in place because of Magneto entering the states. Pyro was pretty sure that his mentor had let the US see him. To give them challenge and tell them to be ready to face their righteous vengeance.

He looked at Avalance walking next to him. "Are we on time?" Avalanche asked.

"I think so," the booming voice of Blob replied from behind them. The gigantic man was walked out of the park. Pyro again wondered how the pavement could bear the heavy mutant without cracking.

"Let's do it," Pyro said and turned towards the gate.

"I'll open that up," Avalanche said and focused his power at the road. His eyes glowed for a moment. The roar and cracks as the asphalt, pipes and dirt in front of the mutant became a wave was thunderous. Blob thundered forward behind the attack that buried and crushed the entrance to the Department of Mutant Affairs. Pyro ignited his wrist fire launchers and palmed two balls of fire following behind the two others carefully.

* * *

Buffy was in the middle enjoying a spoonful of frozen yogurt when there was a rumble outside. Collectively everyone at the table looked up. Scott sighed, while Logan looked serious even if his smile hinted at a darker joy inside.

"The building is under attack," Xavier immediately reported. His eyes looked unfocused Buffy certain that the Professor was looking through them all into the minds of those outside.

"Charles, I have to suggest your students do not get involved," Hank said.

"Outside Pyro and two mutants that I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet are attacking this facility in the name of Magneto and I believe other mutants are active in this building probably doing the same. Hank, the X-Men were formed for this even if most of them are not here at the moment," Professor Xavier explained.

"We do not have a lot of X-Men here," Scott said.

"We can do it. Pyro is not older than us and unlike him we've actually learned something. I want to help and I am sure both Buffy and Peter thinks like I do," Kitty said.

Buffy wanted to say that her friend had spoken like Bobby, but she agreed. If people were being put in danger here in the capitol it would be best if other mutants not government stormtroopers stopped the attackers so she nodded vigorously along with Kitty's sentence.

"We don't have time for me to tell you that you're not X-Men yet. Kitty, you and Wolverine, go through the building find and stop those mutants that are in here. Buffy, you and Colossus are coming with me. We're going to stop those outside," Cyclops said. Buffy nodded to Peter who smiled back encouragingly as they got up. Behind them Wolverine led Kitty out of the room at a run. Buffy guessed the Professor would be guiding the others from afar and Hank would try to get his people to safety.

They ran from the meeting room they had been dining in and down the hall into an office that overlooked the parking lot that was rapidly becoming a battlefield. Their bus was still untouched off the far end of the parking lot, but the entrance area seemed to have been plowed and a big hugely fat guy who apparently ignored bullets was lifting a single SHIELD agent in their blue uniform high while shaking him. Behind a large giant figure made up of fire was reaching for the building. Two figures in costumes stood near the feet of the giant.

"Okay, Colossus, transform and get that fat guy out past the perimeter anyway you can. Buffy, you put down that guy that tears up the ground. I'll handle that wayward old student of mine," Cyclops said as he changed from glasses to the small version of his visor. Buffy looked while Peter's body changed into living mobile metal. The floor groaned a little.

"Colossus, carry me down. Oh, and Buffy, temporarily we'll use the codename Inferno for you," Cyclops said.

Buffy sighed and nodded, while Peter opened the window.

* * *

Xander walked around a corner with Mystique as the terrorist alarm continued making its irritating ringing. "Right on time," he thought.

"In there," Mystique said. Xander nodded and they entered the 1st floor room where a man was looking out the window with a look of anger on his face. Xander could distantly make out a giant of fire probably conjured by Pyro in the opening in the blinds.

The man his scarred face suddenly obvious as he turned towards him and Mystique. "What?" he asked.

"Evacuation orders for all sensitive personnel sir," Mystique explained.

"Of course," the man Xander knew had been partly responsible for his tortures said as he picked up a hardened looking laptop on his way around the door.

The man walked past them when Xander reached out with his power and drained the life of his victim as quick as possible. "Wha-" was the last words spoken by the racist as he fell forward into Mystique's arms. Xander helped and together they put the man back into his chair. Mystique placed a small card on the body Xander had just created which when found would show the investigators to a website with their manifesto and the evidence against their victim.

The building shook suddenly as battle was truly joined outside.

"Come on, we don't know how long we have before the security force wise up to what we're doing," Mystique said.

* * *

"Aaarrrrhg!" Willow screamed, "slow me down. Put me down. Jarvis, do something!" The suit decelerated and she managed to land it on a road running to a stop.

"Is something amiss, Miss Rosenberg," Jarvis asked.

"Open the visor," Willow said and after it opened she immediately threw up on the ground.

"I think the stability of this thing is off," Willow said after drawing several heavy breaths. "Where am I?" she asked and looked around.

"We are currently on a sideroad in the State of Illinois Miss Rosenberg," Jarvis replied calmly. "And if I may say so flying off in an untested prototype armor is behavior worthy of Mister Stark not you."

"I don't have time, fire me up again and see if you can devote more time to stabilizing meeeeeeeee," Willow's sentence ended in a scream as the visor shut and Jarvis directed her forward at enormous speed.

* * *

Willow looked out over the battle field. "No Magneto in sight," she thought.

"Miss, I am detecting an Iron Tech suit broadcasting a tracking signal on your personal channel powering across the US at high speeds," Jarvis reported.

"I had hoped my younger self would be wiser, but it seems she is just like me," Willow said.

"Buffy Summers has joined the fight, Miss. Her power signature still does not match Ragnarok's, but her level has increased to the values projected in your simulations she would have near the optimal moment for the changeover," Jarvis replied as Buffy blew out of a top floor window just after Cyclops and Colossus had leaped from it.

"Not much time left," Willow said. "Still no clear signal on Xander," she asked.

"As you know well Miss our records of his movement and his mutant signature before his modification by Apocalypse are mere projections. So far given the high number of powerful signatures I have been unable to determine an exact match," Jarvis said.

"Damn it, okay listen I want you to stay on Buffy instead. We'll risk waiting until Xander shows himself. And maybe my other self will help as well. Neither of us were here originally," Willow said.

"Or it might end your life as it did many others," Jarvis replied.

"I don't remember changing your programming to include being pessimistic," Willow said.

"Of course not miss, however one might consider that given what one has seen that one has come to expect failure," Jarvis replied.

"Right that is it, when we're back home I am going to change you into a hot surfer chick instead," Willow said. She adjusted her hover pattern to take her closer over the Mutant Affairs building.

* * *

Buffy ducked lower and flew a curve around the fire giant as it rapidly swiveled and swung it arms at her. That Pyro guy was protecting himself and the other guy who seemed set on causing massive damage to the building.

Out of the corner of her eye Buffy saw Peter charge at the fat guy, who in turn looked decidedly unimpressed. The distraction however had been enough. A hand of white hot flame engulfed her. Buffy winced but felt only warmth. She opened her eyes and couldn't help chuckling slightly. The fire couldn't hurt her. She looked down at the surprised face of the pyromaniac youth below. He was however not her target. Scott had given her a task and she would do it. Teamwork required the ability to follow orders of people you trusted.

Buffy faked looking straight at the firestarter but really she was looking at the other guy. She could easily have felled maybe even killed both of the mutants but Xavier was against killing and probably disliked maiming as well so she had to limit herself. Buffy dove straight through the fire, pushing herself forward. At the last moment before she struck the pavement between the two Buffy leveled out and powered forward into a high-speed tackle into the ground shaker guy. He exhaled with a wheeze.

"You're coming with me sunshine," she commented as her power carried them back up high into the air.

"Now be nice or I am going to drop you," Buffy said as the young man looked around and gasped in surprise. They were hundreds of yards in the air.

Below a red beam lanced out and blew Pyro out into the street hammering him into a car leaving him down for the count. The fat guy was looking like a bit more of problem. Peter hadn't been able to move him yet it seemed, but then the fat guy didn't seem able to hurt Peter either.

"You underestimate Avalanche," the guy she was holding said. Buffy looked at him in surprise. He slapped a hand against her head. Something happened and Buffy felt like she had no idea which way was up nor could she see straight.

Buffy felt a splitting headache grow and decided that if he wanted to play she would play the Wolverine way. She let go of the man. She heard his surprised yelp. She shook her head hoping that there had been no permanent damage. After a few moments she could see straight again. At least her powers had prevented her head from suffering the same fate as the pavement. Her target looked relaxed as he fell having turned around and aiming his power down. A huge wave rose as the street pulverized and rose to catch him. Angry and not really all that caring about any villain's health as she often tried to convince herself and others she was, Buffy aimed at him and fired a low intensity bolt at Avalanche. He hammered through his wave of sand, gravel and asphalt ending up deep below it. Satisfied he was at least pacified for a moment Buffy flew low towards Peter's battlefield with the fat guy.

"Nothing moves the Blob," the fat guy called out as Peter hammered him with a smoldering car wreck. She did notice Blob flinch from the heat though. Maybe if he was unbalanced he could be moved. Buffy focused on her power ignoring the fading headache and shifted her energy towards heat. She landed at a good distance to the side where she had a view of the feet of the fat guy. It had taken months of practice for her to control her power, but she had at least some ability to do so now. She aimed and a white hot bolt lanced out from her hands into the foot of the Blob. A red beam followed suit.

* * *

Xander almost bumped into Mystique as she suddenly stopped. "I'll have to run. Tell Sabretooth, Wolverine is in the building over the radio, but do it after the guy who is going to run after me has passed the door. Now duck into the office next to us. The rest of the mission is up to you," she whispered.

Xander had learned not to ask question in the middle of things and so he just turned and walked into the nearby office catching a glimpse of two people standing main hall they had been about to enter. A gruff looking man with weird hair and a rather pretty brunette. They had been working finishing the last of people in the department guilty of acting against them. Then he could go for the last target. In the director's office in the director's chair there was now a mutant traitor was actually working with the people who were planning his own race's extinction. Magneto had sentenced the mutant to death as an example. Xander didn't manage to close the door, before a gruff voice yelled, "Mystique!" Mystique in her blue shape ran past the door as Xander closed it, she was headed back the way they had come. Just in case he stepped away from the door and activated his radio. He waited until something very heavy thundered past the door.

"Toad, Sabretooth, Mystique told me to tell you that some guy named Wolverine is in the building probably chasing her. I will go on with the mission," he said when suddenly he was caught in a sleeper hold by a figure much smaller than him.

"I think I've caught myself a mutant Brother. You know I have a friend who was nearly ki...," the brunette girl passed out as Xander took just enough energy to do so from her. He caught her before she fell and sat her in the chair. She really was rather cute he decided. He wouldn't kill her.

"This is Pyro the X-Men are also outside. I can barely walk and I am not sure if Avalanche is even alive. Blob is about to get his ass kicked," Pyro reported over the radio.

"Pyro, look for Avalanche then leave the area for safety. Toad, pick them up. Sabretooth disable Wolverine. Triage finish the mission if you deem it safe. Watch out for Xavier. He might be close and you cannot defeat him. I will deal with X-Men," Magneto ordered.

* * *

Buffy watched as Peter hurled the fatty across the street into the park there. He had barely been conscious, which Buffy decided was good for him as she had been gearing up to fire another beam into his face.

Suddenly a mesh of steel rods exploded from the reinforced concrete walls and wrapped themselves around her. She was cocooned within a blink of an eye. Unable to see much more than ribbons of sunlight and a flare of red. "Deal with the problem, don't let anything new shock you," Wolverine had drilled into her and the other kids.

Buffy drew her power in then expanded it back out in a burst. She had learned to fire from more than just her hands. Creating full body blasts was the natural state of her attacks any way. The steel rods might as well have been paper towels. She looked around ignoring the mini crater she had just made.

A man in a dark red suit wearing a metal helmet and a cape was hovering over a bludgeoned and clearly unconscious Cyclops. Peter was hovering in front of him in pain. "Magneto," Buffy recognized him from the pictures and descriptions she had received.

"I underestimated you Buffy Summers," Magneto said.

"Put him down," she replied ignoring how he had known her name.

"Gladly," Magneto said. Peter disappeared in a blur as he was hurled away with a speed not unlike her flying at her fastest. Like a cannonball he flew on a ballistic curve that looked like it would land him in New Jersey or something.

Buffy nearly ground her teeth and flew up in front of Magneto. "Listen you," she yelled.

"I do not understand why mutants as powerful as you and him are willing to protect a place like this. There are people in there who have already arranged for the imprisonment and culling of hundreds of beings like you and me. Innocents who were killed so that those swine could find better ways of controlling or killing the rest of us. I know a bit about you Buffy, I understand that you do not suffer under the delusion that a mortal threat should be imprisoned in the hope that it will go away. There can only be war between us and them. You of all people should know this," Magneto said.

"Listen the righteous savior of mutantkind stuff would go down a lot better, if you weren't a racist pig yourself, who is even willing to sacrifice other innocent mutants for a cause they have not signed on for. Rogue, remember her. Or Xavier when you tried making him into the biggest mass murderer in human history. I have a mom, Magneto. She is one of those humans you speak off. So did you once. We come from humans and they are our parents. We have great power. So do they, but if we're not policed then we'll just turn into a culture of powermongering slaveholders. There is no good solution down the road you're going," Buffy said.

"Spoken like a true believer," Magneto said with a sigh. He clenched a fist and Buffy suddenly felt the lingering headache grow worse. Her head swam and she dropped to the ground unable to fly.

"You're also still human enough to share weaknesses with them," Magneto said his voice sounding like he was exerting himself.

"He is doing something," Buffy realized. She couldn't focus on aiming, but she had another option. Buffy let go of her control and let her power out of her reigns. Then she forced it out.

* * *

Xander was about to head up the stairs, only the director was left as a target. There was a monstrous explosion. All glass shattered and the building shook then groaned. He was thrown to the ground and covered in debis. Slowly he got back up and looked around. The explosion had come from outside. Xander on instinct ran out and glanced over across the smashed entry area and the passed out SHIELD agents. He saw Magneto land in the small slip of grass out near the completely ruined road. His mentor had looked severely hurt, his armor shredded. Xander ran out. He would rather save Eric than kill any mutant traitor.

He passed a passed out man with a strange visor on his face. The entire area looked like it had been bombed repeatedly.

Xander almost stepped into a crater when he saw her. Buffy. It had to be her. She was laying in a small crater. Her face pale but her hair spread out in a golden fan. She looked almost angelic covered in a thin aura of white light. Her eyes fluttered. Xander looked towards Magneto then back at Buffy. Then he remembered Mystique and what she had told him of Esme's death. He looked back down at Buffy. She had not rescued him from prison. And he might forgive that as ignorance. She had killed Esme and Xander was not sure that had been intentional. But he had tried to forget it and his white hot anger at her for that. But now she had cost them and him his vengeance and maybe the mutants their greatest leader. And that was the last drop.

"Xander," Buffy's face looked up in surprise, shock and bewilderment. Her voice was friendly. As if nothing had happened. Xander seethed even more at that. She didn't care about what she had done.

He had given her life and it had cost him his. He had resurrected her after the master's bite, but the aftereffects had killed his parents. It was time to rectify that mistake. He reached out with a hand and his power. Buffy sighed and fell back. Her aura dimmed and rippled. A small flow of energy became visible in the air.

There was a flash of light and a bit of the crater exploded. Something heavy landed next to him. "Stop using your powers on her now!" the tall and wide steel figure yelled and held the palm of her hand towards him. Xander resisted for a moment.

"Don't you dare kill her!" the figure yelled and hammered him in the face. Xander blacked out for a moment and landed on his ass. He tasted blood in his mouth. He had stopped using his power. He turned it towards the female figure instead.

"Xander stop," the figure begged as she fell forward. A turret appeared from a shoulder mount and aimed at him.

An English accented voice said, "Desist immediately. I am authorized to use deadly force to protect the wearer of this suit and unlike her I have no friendly feelings for you. Also draining her life energy will not prevent me from shooting you dead."

Xander stopped for a moment in confusion. There was a yell, a metallic gong noise and another female steel figure, much smaller and less armed looking tumbled to a stop next to the crater. "Oh my god, Buffy," the figure whispered while looking into it then fought to get up. The metallic visor opened revealing a face Xander had not expected to see. Willow was looking at him, but not in confusion or anger. She was looking surprised.

"Were you killing her?" Willow asked. Xander looked from her to the bigger armor and back.

"Willow, you're in an Iron Man armor. Is that really you?" he asked.

"Of course dummy. Remember I am over the top smart. I made my own. I haven't quite gotten the flying and landing yet," Willow babbled then looked back down and up again.

"What the hell Xander?" she asked and pointed down.

"She deserved it," he whispered.

"Come again?" Willow asked.

"She killed my girlfriend. She stopped Magneto," Xander defended himself.

"She did not kill Esmeralda Frost," the bigger figure said not using its British voice anymore.

"What?" he asked.

"You have been lied to. I wondered about that for so long. Buffy did not kill Esme. Buffy's powers burn psionic energy most of which she produces herself and your girlfriend after being caught having mind manipulated several of the students at Xavier's School to doubt their allegiance to him tried using her powers on Buffy. The resulting feedback killed her and there was nothing Buffy could do to prevent it," the big armor said.

"I was told something else," he said.

"Yes, but you can trust me Xander," the armor's visor slid open showing Willow but an older Willow.

Xander could only say what he felt, "huh."

"If you try to kill Buffy you'll trigger a secondary mutation in her just like your original healing of her triggered her latent mutant powers. That would lead to an explosion that in my time line leveled all of the DC area. Everyone died except Buffy and a few other mutants who had psionic shields and certain forms of energy absorption. Within a few months the first mutant internment camps opened. In a few years the attempted mass killing of the world's mutant population followed. The war started then. And I fought in it. Recently I came up with a way to travel in time. I had to stop you. I've never stopped being your friend Xander at least not in my heart and I didn't want it all to be your fault. Billions are going to die, because you were misinformed," the Willow claiming to come from the future said.

"I am confused," Xander admitted.

"Listen to me then. Don't hate Buffy Xander. Hate me instead. I knew how your parents treated you. I even suspected you and Jesse had some big secret, but I was too infatuated with you to ask. I know Buffy has been a source of pain for you, but remember the good times and if nothing else the good things she has done. If not for the future do it for her and me," Willow said.

Xander looked at the two Willows and realized it came down to who he believed. He looked down at Buffy and he knew that deep down some part of him still felt something for her. But he knew if he stopped. If he gave in. He would have to face his actions. The assassinations. And everything else on top of it.

* * *

Mystique could hear Wolverine and Sabretooth going at it below, but she was busy with something else. Magneto had to be protected and Triage had been stopped. Stopped by two armored figures. Eric had told her off Tony Stark and the weaponized armors Eric was sure would one day be used against them. She took out the fancy microrocket pistol she had lifted off one of the SHIELD agents and aimed at the smaller of the two armors. She could just see the face of the wearer and she recognized Triage's other former friend. If that hold from his past disappeared maybe he would be easier to manage in the future. Meanwhile Toad had been told to double back and fetch Magneto.

Mystique sure of her careful aim squeezed the trigger.

* * *

"Warning," the bigger armor blared. The big future Willow turned and jumped forward. There was a bloody explosion spraying Xander and Willow. The big armor slumped almost into Buffy's crater. Xander meanwhile turned and saw Mystique looking surprised up on the roof. Unthinking about any supposed loyalties and the like he reached out as far as he could drain to from the deceitful woman, he almost managed it. Mystique threw herself back and disappeared from view.

"Xander, she... It's me and I am very dead," Willow said.

"Step back from the armor. Self-destruct protocol is in effect. For safety clear the area," the British voice said. Willow blinked at that and ran into the crater to grab Buffy's prone form.

Xander decided that it was time for him to disappear as well. He wondered if Magneto had known about Esme and if he could trust anything he had been told recently. So instead of heading out on to the agreed upon escape route, he opted to go another way. He was still a teen, but after being trained by Magneto, Toad and Mystique he was certain he could make it to some sort of safe place and think things through. He wanted to talk more with Willow, but he doubted the authorities were far away now and he definitely didn't want to tangle with them at this point. That bridge had been thoroughly burned. Maybe he could reach Buffy or Willow later. At least he could find Buffy and apologize.

Behind him there was another big explosion.

* * *

Willow flew away from the scene of the battle wondering where she could safely bring Buffy. It was too far to take her clearly wounded friend to LA. She tried ignoring the clearly unstable flight system of her suit, vowing to fix that as soon as possible. She was almost at cloud level when four blue clad figures in primitive flying power suits with SHIELD emblems dove out of them followed by a truly huge hovering craft.

"Willow Rosenberg, you're in so much trouble," Tony's voice rang in her ears from the radio.

"Land on the Heli-Carrier," a much calmer sounding Nick Fury commanded. Willow was glad to do so because while she could easily carry Buffy her rocket boots were flaring again.

Atop the super massive craft that Willow still couldn't believe was real, there was runways as on an aircraft carrier at sea. Impressed she spotted Tony in his Iron Man armor and landed as cleanly next to him as she could.

"Keep your visor closed," Tony advised her over the radio.

"Yes," she replied.

"Who is the babe?" Tony asked speaking to her normally.

"She is way too young for you that is who she is," Willow replied.

"This way, the General is waiting," a SHIELD agent stepped up to them and said.

"My friend needs a doctor," Willow said.

"No doctor here can help one of those," the agent immediately replied.

Willow was about to angrily protest but Tony put a warning hand on her shoulder. Together they walked into an elevator, Willow holding Buffy close. Buffy was a lot more pale than Willow had ever remembered seeing her. They were lead down high tech corridors and into a massive command and control room filled with enough free floating holograms and quiet voices to make Willow convinced that Nick had seen Star Wars too many times and had wanted to out do it.

"Ah, it seems you completely ignored my orders again Mr. Stark," Nick Fury said after giving Willow a look over.

"She understood the technology already. All I did was to prevent her from making too many mistakes along the way," Tony replied.

"I see. Now Willow what went on down there. My people have to know what they are getting into," Nick asked.

"Some evil mutants attacked the Department of Mutant Affairs. Some other mutants stopped them. It looked like things had gotten a bit out of hand though given the amount of property damage," Willow explained.

"I see and what side was that little vixen on?" Nick asked.

"Not yours, but not your enemies I believe," Buffy said and rose in Willow's arms. She seemed fully awake and aware all of a sudden. Buffy slipped out of her grasp and stepped away from them.

"Miss Summers, that was a rather sudden awakening," Nick said.

"Well I woke up being carried by some strange metallic figure flying through the air. I thought it best to play the damsel until I recovered a bit more. Lo and behold. Nick Fury and SHIELD. So mister, are you going to arrest me for damaging government property or something?" Buffy asked. Willow realized that Buffy apparently knew Nick which was suspicious given that he had not put them in touch with each other. He had still been looking for her last she had asked and that was only a few weeks back.

"Miss Summers, may I introduce Iron Man and his comrade, who hasn't got any codename yet," Nick said.

"Hi there," Buffy said and gave them a small wave. Willow saw in Buffy's eyes that her friend was confused and slightly intimidated but was covering it up in typical Buffy fashion by acting like an empty-headed teen.

"Miss Summers, we have had the conversation about acting like that. I am not buying that act ever. Now you are in no trouble. If reports are correct you helped fight off Magneto and his mutants," Nick said.

"Pretty much sums it up," Buffy replied.

"Now I am sure that Director McCoy provided he is okay would be willing to accept that little bit of property damage as a necessary loss," Nick said and a picture of the devastated battlefield appeared on screen. Buffy seemed to study it for a moment then nodded in satisfaction. Willow noted that neither Xander, her murdered future counterpart nor that other unconscious guy with the weird glasses was in view.

"Is this live?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Nick replied.

"Then someone has either taken Magneto into custody or his cronies have taken him away," Buffy reported.

"My agents are sweeping the area, but it does look like all of Magneto's group as well as your group has disappeared already. There were some deaths inside, but all of the victims are registered humans working for the department," Nick said.

Willow noted that Buffy seemed to have regained a bit of the commanding tone she had wielded when she had been the Slayer. It was a different, more careful Buffy, but it was still her best friend. Willow wondered about Xander, but decided not to mention him. He had been on the other side during this and she was fairly certain that Nick would throw Xander in jail, instead of talking to him like he was doing with Buffy. She wondered where Xander had gone and if he'd get away from the SHIELD agents she was sure would be scouring the city looking for him and his compatriots.

"Okay, I am guessing you had something you wanted to talk to these two gearheads about so why don't you show me the nearest exit and I will be out of your... baldness?" Buffy said.

"Actually until matters have been cleared up, I will have to insist you stay here. I promise I won't leak your name to the press along with video footage if you stay," Nick said.

Buffy grinned then stopped, "Hey that is not nice. You know blackmailing the hero is not the way to make friends."

"I don't want to be friends with you Miss Summers. I don't dislike you, however there is a lot of questions and my information is sketchy. For all I know you could be playing the fool and actually be the one who killed those people," Nick said. "Besides my conversation with those two can wait."

"Sir, there are several reports you must attend to," one of the agents said.

"Good, Iron Man, you know the way around. Take Miss Summers and your protege to the level 2 meeting room. I'll be over later. And none of you even think of leaving," Nick said glaring especially at Buffy.

Tony lead them out into the corridors. "So I've been meaning to ask. Is it really hot inside those things?" They were being followed by several agents Willow noted. She was liking the style of SHIELD less and less now.

"Air conditioned," Tony replied as he led them inside.

"Now I know you're Tony Stark, self-involved billionaire with his self-made Iron underwear, but who are you then?" Buffy asked.

Willow realized why Buffy had been treating her as a stranger. Apparently the girl hadn't heard the entire conversation with Xander or seen the horrible end of her future self. Buffy didn't even know why it had been so important to save her. Willow morbidly laughed then ordered Jarvis to open her helm.

"Willow?" Buffy said and gaped in surprise.

"How? I thought you were in Sunnydale," Buffy stammered.

"And you wanted me to believe you were dead for a while there. Angel told us, but I had to look for you. Xander is alive too," Willow said. Buffy seemed to barely listen as she dashed over and hugged her. Willow noted that the squeeze Buffy put on would have killed most humans outright, but her armor could just hold out. Buffy was seriously a lot stronger now.

"You do know that if I had been outside my armor you'd have popped my head off with that hug," Willow said.

Buffy looked mortified as she hopped away from Willow.

"No harm done I promise," Willow said.

"I have to be careful I still forget I am stronger now," Buffy said. "How did you end up here?" Buffy asked.

"Well I think I know most of my story and even things you don't know yet. But I don't think we should share here. There are bound to be hundreds of sensors aimed at us at the moment and I am certain Tony has several recorders and stuff in his suit because my suit certainly does. Rain check until we can talk in private. But I swear I want phone numbers, addresses before I let you out of my sight and you're gonna get my info as well. If it kills me you and me are not gonna loose touch again," Willow said. In her mind Willow reminded herself that she needed to find Xander as well. She had been warned. Xander's future was still in jeopardy, but maybe Buffy would be perfect for helping now. And he probably needed to speak to her anyway. This way she'd avoid the both of them avoiding each other for a lot longer. First they needed to satisfy Nick though.

"Sure. I am still just shocked to see you here. Wait. Xander is still alive?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, some people from Neverland picked him up in Sunnydale and faked his death. He was imprisoned and tortured while you were out running away from AIM I guess. It had nothing to do with you," Willow explained.

"Poor Xander. Was he amongst those freed by Magneto?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, he works for him now. He was actually there when I found you. Don't you remember?" Willow asked.

"No, I don't. Last thing I remember except for mumblings and flashes of light was me trying to keep Magneto from killing me. I think he was messing with the iron in my blood somehow," Buffy said.

"Okay, but Xander is still around. I don't know where he went afterwards," Willow admitted. She hoped that whatever voice analysis they were running would show that she really didn't where Xander had gone just now, but not that it would show that she knew more than she was saying.

"What is going to happen now?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. I think we'll have to wait a while," Willow said.

* * *

"She is fine," Xavier said. Kitty nodded and looked over at Cyclops who was being treated by the Beast. They had just picked up Peter, he had been running back towards the battle.

"Where is she then?" Kitty asked.

"Buffy is in a SHIELD meeting room aboard something called the HeliCarrier, a huge flying base of a sort. I am looking in on her, she is quite easy for me to track you know," the Professor replied.

"I was worried," Kitty said.

"We all were. Although when she gets back home I'll make it a point to pick up her training on avoiding massive collateral damage and looking out for teammates," Cyclops said and groaned slightly as the Beast applied anti-septic to a cut on his cheek.

"I best go back before I am missed too much. You should join me Professor," Hank said.

"I must decline. Magneto's attack was not unprovoked but there will be repercussions for the mutant community and I have to deal with that first. I have taken the liberty of having our presence at the Department forgotten and a kind secretary has already deleted any records of our visits. Hank you will have to weather this alone for a while, but we are never far away," the Professor said.

"Why do it like this Charles? You should be stepping out and making the point that the X-Men prevented a terrorist attack," Hank argued.

"I helped you Hank, but there were people you couldn't get rid off. People that Magneto has now had killed. I am still answerable to the mutants as well. I am not an arm of government and for now the X-Men will remain in the shadows. We helped the government this time, but we are not a part of it and for now we cannot be," Professor Xavier said.

"Are you playing both sides?" Hank asked.

"We are all mutants here Hank. Ultimately I am on the side of the mutants, I just do not consider my relationship with humans a soured one nor do I want our race to grow up as slaveholders or worse. I hope and work for a better relationship, but I cannot stand on the side of the government either. As I said, you had people, you and I both knew were rotten dirty racist bastards with mutant blood on their hands in your department and politics dictated that you couldn't fire them. Until people like that are not allowed to make the decisions, until mutant rights are cemented into law. Until then we stay separate and illegal," the Professor explained.

"And that is why I work for him," Wolverine said.

Hank nodded but said, "I just think we need to work with them first."

"And you should, but the X-Men and my students are not you. Encourage other mutants to join you, form a mutant police of sorts. That is also fine, but don't expect us to be the government's force against other mutants without cause," Xavier said.

"I understand. I'll be by in a while to see how you're doing Scott. And I'll get Buffy out of SHIELD custody as soon as possible," Hank said.

The bus stopped and Hank got out. Kitty was proud of the autopilot she had helped to program for a while as it elegantly pulled away from the curb and continued towards its next waypoint.

"I am worried that he'll get fed up with us acting above the law and tell someone about us," Wolverine said.

"Only Hank and SHIELD currently knows anything about us. Once Buffy is out of there I'll make sure they lose that information as well. You know we should consider splitting the school and X-Men one day when we have enough teachers as well as X-Men," Xavier said.

"I know where I'd go," Wolverine commented. "Shouldn't someone at least sit in the driver's seat. I believe that the Kitten and Beast are capable programmers but seeing that seat empty gives me the creeps."

"Feel free," Peter said.

Wolverine chewed on the end of his unlit cigar for a moment then resolutely went over and seated himself in the driver's seat.

Kitty slipped up next to Peter and asked, "So what happened?"

"We put down Pyro and two new guys one calling himself Avalanche and another calling himself the Blob. I thought we had won then Magneto showed up encasing Buffy in metal and knocking Cyclops out with a girder. He launched me like a rocket. My metallic form is of no use against him just as we feared from the Danger Room. I think he and Buffy must have fought," Peter replied.

"Yeah I think so too. I saw Toad run off with Magneto's body. He looked pretty beaten up but I would guess he's alive. I had to drag Scott away and Buffy was gone taken away by what I think was Iron Man, so I had to let them go. If the Professor hadn't hidden me I am sure the horde of SHIELD agents in their cute blue spandex suits would have arrested me and I am certain they set off after Toad. Maybe we'll get lucky and Magneto gets thrown behind bars again," Kitty explained.

"No such luck," Peter replied.

"You're such a pessimist sometimes," Kitty said.

"Niet, I am not a pessimist I am Russian. We know about these things," Peter said.

* * *

"Okay Miss Summers, I am letting you go. Officially I have to thank you for your brave acts as a civilian. Unofficially I have to caution you. You almost killed a man today and if you had I would have thrown the book at you even if he was another mutant like you and you were protecting government officials. One of my agents will show you to the nearest airlock. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out," Nick said.

"My my, aren't we angry for no good reason. Willow, we'll get back in touch. Mr. Stark it was a pleasure if a short one," Buffy said trying her best to sound suave. She had seen Willow's posters once when she had visited her house back in Sunnydale and while he hadn't shown his face today she was still aware he was a hotty.

"Buffy, I'll call and we'll get together okay," Willow said.

"Of course... Oh, Mister angry black guy. I am going to meet with her and you're going to let her. You have a lot of resources and I am sure you're gonna try and have us followed. According to one of my trainers however he can spot your stooges a mile away. I am an apt student of his and in my own way just as dangerous as he is so just leave us alone. M'kay? M'kay," Buffy said.

Nick just stared at her with his single eye. Buffy nodded and left. Outside an agent led her out to an airlock and opened it.

"Buffy," the agent said in a tone that was vastly different from what she was expecting. It was the tone of another man.

"Professor?" she asked.

"Yes, I am going to have to remove SHIELD information on you. Now about your friend I am guessing you won't care to have me work at making her forget this?" the Professor said using the agent as his mouthpiece.

"I like her to remember everything just fine. Sir, isn't that a bit excessive and invasive?" Buffy asked.

"It is, however we need to increase secrecy of X-Men operations and taking information away from SHIELD is a good step. Remember they are currently amongst those tasked with capturing and imprisoning mutants," the Professor said.

"Fine, but don't they have defenses?" Buffy asked.

"That is just a question of patience and indirection Buffy. Mr. Stark does not wear his armor the entire time remember and I can implant suggestions into SHIELD agents to shut off the carrier's defenses while they are in the field," the Professor revealed. Buffy wondered just how much power the Professor could have had if he had not chosen to the moral route. And as he had just revealed, he was willing to bend his rules in the name of the safety of mutantkind. It worried her a little but she trusted him to not overdo things.

"See you back home," Buffy said.

"Yes, remember to fly in low to get under Hank's holographic cover as early as possible," the agent said and blinked looking confused at why he was standing where he did. Buffy jumped off the edge into free air.

She was amazed at her ability to stay calm even when falling as she knew her power allowed her flight. And fly she did. Forcing out the power she accelerated to several times the speed of sound and flew as low as safely possible towards home hoping she'd be able to navigate correctly just based on landmarks. First she'd follow the highway north.

* * *

Willow looked at Nick, who stared back.

"What possessed you to use that thing?" Nick asked.

"I wanted to make it. Also Mr. Fury I have to say I have been reading up on stuff and I think that you taking over my life as completely as you have can't be entirely legal," Willow said.

"Willow, we're friends remember. You know too much and I had to act like I did then," Nick explained.

"He knows a lot more than I do. Why isn't he in SHIELD custody? Why don't you dictate how he has to live his life?" Willow asked.

"I... the secrets he knows were of his own invention," Nick said.

"Not entirely true Nick, but I believe Willow's sudden dislike for SHIELD presence in her life has a reason. Maybe you should ask about that?" Tony said.

Nick turned to Willow with a look.

"I don't want to become a SHIELD agent one day. I know that is where you and maybe even I thought I was headed, but I don't want that not anymore. I know I am wearing more than I am likely to earn in a life time and the exoskeleton as well. But I can go home or somewhere and I can build my own life, a career without it all. I don't see myself having a career as an agent," Willow explained.

"But as a superhero. As Iron Girl," Nick asked.

"By the way, consider the materials and the exoskeleton a gift. If I took that away Pepper would hang me by my man parts," Tony said.

"Thanks Tony, and no maybe not as a superhero. At least I am not sure about that yet. I'd like to help. You know that right. But I can't work for you directly. You're my friend and so is Tony, but I don't want to work for my friends. I want to go at it my own way. I know what I am giving up access too. And I am willing to sign non-disclosure agreements and serve time for computer crime. Just let me be my own boss," Willow begged.

"I couldn't arrest you. I had the charges deleted. And besides you did no harm to the systems you penetrated. I will say that if you do it again I won't be as lenient, but are you certain? And Tony are you sure she can administrate the secrets she already knows?" Nick asked.

"Sure she can. I won't leave you penniless either Willow. You've tested equipment for me and worked a programmer so I am going to give you 6 months of professional engineer's pay as I would do for any of my employees," Tony said.

"I don't want any money," Willow mumbled.

"Too late no take backs," Tony said.

"Fine. I'll arrange for things. You are aware that AIM and other like them might come after you now. And so could some of Tony's enemies," Nick said.

"Sure, but I will be ready for them. And don't either of you dare becoming strangers. I will still help if you need me. But only when I can," Willow explained.

"So are you moving out here to be closer to your friend," Tony asked.

"Yeah, I think I'll get some small space in New York," Willow said. "Oh and Nick I will be sweeping for bugs and the like please don't bother," she continued.

"Why is everyone convinced I'd spy on them for no good reason. I have real threats to deal with," Nick said.

"Because they know you maybe?" Tony replied.

* * *

Xander looked out the window as the passenger train accelerated towards New York in the distance. It was the best place to hide and maybe make a new start. There was also supposed to be a big mutant community there. Maybe he needed time amongst his own kind without the political agenda warping things, figure out what side he was on. At least one person either Willow or Mystique who had lied to him recently and his money was on the latter. Now he needed time to decide how to deal with that.

* * *

The brown stone like being looked up at the blue being towering over him. They had just watched a recording of the battle outside the US Department of mutant affairs headquarters. "Master, what do you think?"

"I think we have found a candidate for the position of Death in that boy," Apocalypse said.

"I thought the blond girl would make an excellent War," he said.

"Maybe, but I am not certain she could be bent to my will as easily as the boy. She was once apart of Sineya. None of her children are easily broken and I am not certain that the Slayer will not end my existence if I try. She has the right and the power to do so," Apocalypse replied.

"How can there be an ex-Slayer? Do you judge her to be worthy of survival," he wondered out loud.

"Of course she is. More than you. Maybe more than all my horsemen. Now silence your prattle Ozymandias. Activate the communication screens. I must speak with my allies aboard. One will be strong enough to capture the boy," Apocalypse commanded.

"Yes, my lord," Ozymandias agreed.


	12. Is it May already?

Is it May already?

Buffy was checking her make-up. The lunch break was almost over and she was going to a class with Scott on urban combat. "Buffy there is a call for you," Buffy heard Kitty call out from their room.

It had been four days since their battle in DC. They were all mostly recovered, except maybe Scott, who had taken to giving her afternoon private lessons in the Danger Room every day on how to control the collateral damage caused by shooting energy blasts. "Coming," she yelled back and shut off the water.

She walked out and over to Kitty who was holding their room phone out. "Who?" she whispered.

"It's your Willow," Kitty replied. Buffy had explained all about Willow to Kitty in bits and pieces over the last few months and in even more detail yesterday evening.

Buffy grabbed the phone, "Hi."

"Buffy, hi. Listen I am in New York City looking for an apartment. I wondered if you were allowed out of the ivory tower on occasion," Willow asked.

"Not unsupervised usually," she replied, "but I could ask someone."

Willow's tone changed, "I need to speak with you in private it is important. Very important and kind of urgent. I am at the Metropolitan Museum of Art near the obelisk. Please for the sake of the Scoobies come today."

"I am coming as soon as possible," Buffy replied sensing the urgent tone in Willow's voice.

"I will wait. Bye," Willow said.

"Bye," Buffy replied. They hung up.

"You can't go anywhere. Scott and Logan would blow a fuse if you took off and the Professor explicitly said you couldn't leave while he hadn't finished dealing with SHIELD," Kitty said.

Buffy turned to Kitty and frowned for a moment then said, "Kitty, it is something about my friends. I've gone through so much with them. I owe it to my friendship with them and our past to go. Someone is in trouble or Willow wouldn't have said what she just did."

"And it could also be a trap. You don't know everything about all those weird kinds of enemies we have yet. And I know you. You don't really listen during the history lessons either. Please listen to me, don't do this you might get into a lot of danger," Kitty said.

Buffy turned to her brown haired friend and frowned. "I am going. But you could come along? I could carry you," Buffy offered.

Kitty stood in silence for a while then nodded, "Okay, but I am bringing communicators and a tracking beacon. And we're going in costume as Shadowcat and Ragnarok."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I don't like that codename you know. It's better than Inferno, but seriously it makes me sound like a villain."

"And you think codenames like Storm, Wolverine or the rest are much better. The only ones with cutesy nicknames around here are Bobby and Kurt," Kitty reminded her.

"I just know I should have picked something myself, but I just don't _feel_ the entire codename thing and it being tied to being a mutant is right. It's like we're trying not to be like humans by choosing weird names for ourselves and making them true," Buffy argued.

"For some people, but for you and me maybe it is just better to think of it as a way to protect those we love and all the kids here from further problems if our names were known in the media," Kitty said.

Buffy looked at her and then laughed.

Kitty blushed for a moment then said, "That sounded a bit like I was presenting stuff in class again right."

"Just a little," Buffy replied.

"But I am serious. So Ragnarok, I'll sneak us downstairs, you'll get in costume and then we'll go together to New York okay," Kitty said.

"Fine," Buffy agreed.

Kitty drew them through the sealed door to the X-Men costume chamber and again Buffy felt slightly sick. Being phased through things was disconcerting even having tried it a couple of times before in the Danger Room and a few other occasions.

"Do you think they still think we don't know that they have made uniforms for all us kids," Buffy said as she popped open the slide-out cabinet and rolled it out revealing several uniforms clearly not in adult sizes. One of which was the black leather with a white trim.

Kitty had brought out her own uniform and looked over at Buffy. "I think they do yeah," she replied.

They quickly got dressed in the uniforms. Kitty stuffed their civvies into a large bag.

"Okay you have to have a plan. I can't just pop the hangar hatch and fly out. For one the kids are probably playing on the basketball court right now," Buffy argued.

"You remember those 'school under attack' drills?" Kitty asked.

"Secret tunnels, cool," Buffy said.

"There is one right over here," Kitty said and held out her hand. Buffy smiled and grabbed it. Buffy took a deep breath and soon after they were through the armored wall and into one of the many underground tunnels that led away from the school into all sorts of places in the woods.

After nearly ten minutes walking they came out into the daylight. "My turn," Buffy said and picked up Kitty. She ignited her aura, making sure it enveloped Kitty completely and took off into the air. Buffy pushed her speed. She was already worried Willow might leave or be in danger given her tone.

Buffy glanced at Kitty who looked a bit queasy, which Buffy guessed was because of the speed. They had practiced this in the Danger Room and Kitty had been pretty green around the nose every time.

They came in over what Buffy hoped was New York, the landmarks seemed to match. Buffy had missed Westchester several times when she had come back from DC and her visit with SHIELD. "I need some sort of map function in my super suit," she said and smiled. Kitty just looked at her funny. Buffy guessed the girl couldn't understand her over the noise of her aura.

Kitty pointed down as they came over what Buffy was now positive had to be Manhattan. She recognized Central Park and the Fantastic Four headquarter building. She wondered for a fleeting moment if she would catch a lucky glance of Spider-man. She had several times considered how it would be like to meet him. She had always felt a bit of kinship with him back when she was the Slayer. Buffy headed in the direction Kitty was pointing, the girl was usually right about most things anyway.

They slowed and Buffy turned in the air, she slowed them down and ended up almost standing on the air hundred yards over the park near the museum Kitty had been pointing towards. Buffy switched off her flight but kept the aura on. Kitty screamed as they fell to the ground.

Buffy landed and found that Peter had been right. Dirt was spongy when you hit it at speed. She shielded them from the impact and stepped out of the hole and the broken branches from the trees they had passed through.

"Don't do that again," Kitty asked.

"We needed to get down without glowing like a star," Buffy argued.

"Right and you could have tuned your aura. I know you're working on it with the Professor and that you're an adrenalin junkie. Let's move a bit in case anyone was looking up anyway then find a place to change clothes," Kitty said.

Willow was feeling very warm. She was wearing her exoskeleton and the lower part of her armor underneath the over-sized pants. Next to her in a large and heavy suitcase the rest of her armor was hidden. She was also a bit anxious. The longer she waited the bigger the chance whomever was after Xander would get to him first. She had expended a lot of effort to track Xander back to New York's mutant underground, but no one was speaking to her and her skills in convincing anyone were lacking it seemed.

"Willow!" Buffy's voice was the first she sensed of her old friend. Willow turned towards the sound and was enveloped in a hug by the blond before she could step forward or identify her friend.

"Buffy, are you all right you weren't in supershape last time," Willow recognized the smell of her friend's hair and the shape of her body before she saw her face.

"I am peachy for now. Say Willow is that iron underwear or?" Buffy joked.

"The first thing," Willow said feeling strangely flustered for a moment. She had forgotten that Buffy still didn't know about her legs.

Buffy stepped back and studied her for a moment then said. "So what was so urgent?"

"I need your help. It's about Xander. He ran after the thing in DC. I hacked some government databases and surveillance systems and a facial recognition program I wrote spotted him on a camera arriving by train here on Manhattan. But I have no idea where he is now and there are others after him. I went to the station Xander arrived at. Someone had torn through there. The station personnel and even the homeless in the area had been hammered and questioned about Xander. I couldn't get a good look or talk with too many though the police was all over that place. I have one good clue but I don't know if the one after Xander has something like that or better. I hoped you'd help," Willow explained.

Buffy looked taken aback for a moment. "We've gotta help him, but I am worried. Xander took me down the last time. He is really angry with me and I have no idea about why," Buffy replied.

"You fought some telepathic girl some months ago. She died accidentally, but she was Xander's girlfriend and he was told by that other mutant group that you were to blame," Willow explained.

"Esme," Buffy whispered and seemed distant for a while.

"Listen, I am sorry. I want you and I to talk about what has happened. There are so many things I don't know and things you don't know. I am moving to New York you know, but we have to go. I have a car just outside the park," Willow said.

"Okay," Buffy said and turned. A brown haired girl with an intelligent expression stepped up to them.

"We're good, I haven't spotted any agents and I used all the tricks Logan has taught us," the girl said.

"I think we're cool. I didn't see anyone either. Willow, this is Kitty, she's my roommate at my school," Buffy explained.

Kitty nodded to her but didn't hold out her hand. Willow felt almost like the girl resented her a little, but wasn't sure why. "Will, the clue. About Xander," Buffy asked as Willow turned and headed for her car with Buffy and Kitty following behind.

"I got another hit on Xander not long after I had seen the ruined station. Xander got his picture taken heading into an old abandoned warehouse that according to SHIELD is a known Mutant Underground meeting place. That was nearly two hours ago, but he hasn't been seen leaving," Willow said.

Buffy asked, "so what do we do when we get him?"

"I don't know. Someone is out to catch him and brainwash him," Willow said.

"How do you know this?" Kitty asked her skepticism clear in her voice.

Willow paused and thought about what to say. She wondered what she could say if she wanted to lie. But maybe she should trust Buffy instead. "The one, who saved Buffy in DC, wasn't me, it was me from some sort of terrible future. I met her and she told me that someone in her future had captured Xander and brainwashed him turning him into some sort of mass murderer using his powers only to kill," she explained and pressed the unlock stud on her car keys. "She also told me to stop what was happening in DC. If I hadn't you would have been turned into a villain too Buffy." Willow looked at Buffy who seemed surprised.

"That sounds whacked. But hell we have a kid at school who can teleport from place to place immediately and a girl who can absorb your personality by a simple touch, who by the way is gonna be pissed she wasn't asked to come along on this outing. So I believe you. But I am not going to be a villain if I can help it," Buffy said.

"I wouldn't let you go that way any way," Kitty replied as the other girls got into the back seats as the passenger seat was occupied by the chest and helmet of her armor. Willow noticed that both Buffy and Kitty wore some sort of black leather under their outer clothes. Probably some sort of uniform.

They arrived at the empty warehouse and Willow parked her car. "Should I put my armor on?" Willow asked.

Buffy and Kitty looked at each other. Kitty winced and Buffy guessed her opinion matched hers. She turned back towards Willow. "No, you'd just spook people. Bring the suitcase. It's in there right," she replied

"But it's so heavy," Willow complained, but took the case along as they left the car.

"Yup, Mutant Underground," Kitty confirmed as they approached the building.

Buffy also spotted the stylized M's that often decorated MU hang outs. Orion had taught her to recognize and paint them herself. Several of the kids at the school were talking about getting the design as tattoos. She also spotted two lookouts.

"We're gonna need to show off a bit to get inside. They've got guards out. I bet they've had trouble recently," she said as she spotted the chips and holes in the nearby walls a strafe of automatic weapons fire.

They stepped up to the man near the hole in the fence that led onto the grounds around the warehouse. Buffy could see the faint blue glow of his eyes even from behind his sunglasses. Storm and Cyclops had told them to just show their uniforms. The professor and the X-men had good reputations with the Underground, but Wolverine had warned them that most of the street level mutant were just as likely to consider them soft and resent them for their cozy lives. Buffy believed the latter. "We wanna go in, is that fine with you," she said forcing her voice to remain hard and let her eyes glow with the power raging inside of her.

The guy nodded and held the fence open for them. As they passed she noticed that he wasn't really a lot older than them. Willow seemed a bit wary, which Buffy considered a good thing. If there was some big dude out for Xander, anything could happen. Which meant this could end like one of her near daily battle scenarios in the Danger Room. She looked around when they got inside.

Some rock music was playing in the background. A mixed group of mutants some of them very young were scattered around the room. The teens were decorating with graffiti, while the youngest were gathered around a working TV and the elders were standing a little to the side at what looked like a strange combination of bar and improvised grocer.

"There are so many," Kitty whispered almost in awe.

Buffy wanted reply but she spotted Xander across the room. He was sitting on a concrete ramp looking at the ground. He was wearing a thick winter jacket and his hair was unwashed but he was unmistakable. "Look," she whispered addressing Willow.

"Let's go over and sit with him. He was really unhappy last time we spoke. I don't want to spook him," Willow replied.

Buffy nodded. Willow went ahead of her. "Stay close and keep an eye out, I trust Willow when she said someone was after Xander," Buffy told Kitty as Willow walked over and sat down next to Xander, while putting the big suitcase next to her.

"Right on," Kitty said. Buffy headed over just as Xander looked over at Willow in surprise as she greeted him.

Buffy walked up. "What are you doing here, Willow, this is a mutant place?" Xander asked.

"I can't visit?" Willow replied.

"Not legally no," Xander replied. His mood seemed to improve. "But seriously why are you here?"

"Someone is after you and we didn't really resolve everything in DC either," Buffy said.

Xander turned and looked torn for a moment. "Hi Buffy," he said and sounded contrite.

"Xander, I am not angry with you. Willow's told me most of what went on and I think I've puzzled out the rest. Something I did angered you, didn't it. What did I do? I'd like you to tell me," Buffy said.

"You didn't do anything. I was fooled by the people I thought I could trust the most. They told me you killed Esme intentionally," Xander said and studied her for a moment. He got up and paced for a moment.

"I didn't. My power reacts badly to telepathy, she essentially got burned on me. I was... I am sorry. She didn't like me much. I never got why, but she didn't," Buffy wondered out loud.

"I... I am sorry for what I did to you. I was an asshole. I even told myself that I owned your life because I used my power to bring you back in the Master's cave. But I was wrong to think so and I am sorry," he replied. They stood across from each other. Facing each other.

"Can you forgive me," they both said at the same time and then both laughed. Willow rose and hugged them both. They pressed together into a warm hug almost not noticing a wall shattering and a large shape thundering into the room.

"Surrender Triage," a voice boomed. They all let go of each other. Buffy tossed off her jacket as she turned. Xander who was already facing the problem paled after he turned. Willow meanwhile ran for her suitcase yelling for some guy named Jarvis.

"Juggernaut," Xander said sighing. "Buffy he is tough. We couldn't even give him pause the last time I met him. He is unstoppable..." Xander paused as he turned and saw Willow's suitcase turning folding out into an advanced body armor that was slowly unfolding over her body.

"There you are. Someone paid me to get you. Come quietly and no one gets hurt," the armored guy yelled. He had a brutish English accent.

Buffy lighted her aura to full and yelled, "Pull the other one, you pillock," she hoped she had remembered Giles' cursing right and that she hadn't just said something too dumb.

"I am Juggernaut!" the man yelled and thundered towards her. Buffy however hadn't underestimated her opponent. Months of intensive training where she had no idea what kind of threat she was facing in the Danger Room and more than a year as a Slayer had taught her a lot. She flew up, while firing at the guy trying to pound him into the ground.

It had no effect.

"Get down here," the huge man yelled and tore chunks of concrete out of the ground and threw them at her. Buffy's aura deflected them but the bombardment was forcing her back as he threw bigger and bigger pieces. Suddenly there was a small explosion and the bombardment stopped.

"Stand down," the electronic voice of Willow echoed as she hovered into view near Buffy. Buffy smiled.

"Awesome entrance," Buffy said as she noticed Kitty handling the evacuation of the innocent bystanders. Buffy wondered if she let loose if she could damage the man below at all. He seemed untouched even by the intense fire bombing Willow had just subjected him to.

"Thanks. We need to get Xander to safety," Willow suggested.

"I have an option. I have a lot more power. I was thinking of hammering the guy with it while you take Xander out of here as soon as the bystanders are clear," Buffy suggested.

Willow's armored head turned her way for a moment then back again. "I don't like it. We did the DC thing to prevent you from overusing your power too," Willow said.

"Trust me, I won't just turn into a villain from using my abilities. I didn't become a murderer from being the Slayer," Buffy argued. She spotted a reinforced concrete slab heading their way. Willow held out a hand before Buffy could and blasted it to dust.

"Let's try together first," Willow yelled over the echo. Buffy nodded and turned toward the man who had chosen to ignore them and look for Xander again.

"Hey, doofus, focus," she yelled and fired a near full power blast of force and heat from her body.

Willow fired a hot red laser beam from her right hand while several grenade-like spikes hammered into the Juggernaut from a cannon on her left arm.

The Juggernaut staggered slightly but didn't seem more than surprised by their onslaught. The pressure waves blew out all the glass and most of the roof however.

"Hold him in place," Xander's voice reached them. He was sprinting towards the Juggernaut.

Willow immediately flew a half-circle around Juggernaut, while Buffy widened her beams and made them pure force. She wondered why she didn't even feel slightly tired by pouring out her energy, but she didn't feel even worn yet.

Xander ran close and stopped. Buffy saw a visible flow of white energy from the Juggernaut to Xander.

"Wa... nooo... st..." Juggernaut suddenly seemed affected. Buffy poured everything into her beam and felt the drain quite suddenly. Juggernaut was pounded into the ground. Willow fired another explosive round. The man dropped unconscious.

Buffy stopped firing several seconds later and then landed close to Xander together with Willow.

"That was awesome," Buffy said.

"The scoobies ride again," Xander said. Willow opened her helmet smiling.

"The old team to the rescue," Willow agreed and looked around. "I am glad this building wasn't being used," she said.

Buffy nodded and smiled. "Now let's go some place nice... Errh what do we do with this guy," she said and looked down at the huge shape of Juggernaut before turning around to face her friends.

"I guess there is no normal jail that will hold him," Xander said.

"I know some people who can fix it. And I guess if they suspend him in some force field he can't just break free either," Willow said.

"Cool," Buffy said when suddenly a large hand closed around her neck.

"You fucking stupid bird think your weak shit can stop me," Juggernaut screamed and lifted Buffy by her neck. She couldn't breathe. Ineffectually she kicked at him. She manifested her power and pushed at him with her burning aura, but she couldn't just detonate herself, her friends were too close.

Buffy focused she needed to do something. She had one last card to play but it was a dangerous one. "I will kill you, then the red head and beat you boy before I take you to Apocalypse. I will not be," and like that he stopped speaking. He released his hold on Buffy then toppled backwards unconscious bleeding profusely from his nose and eyes.

"What happened," Xander asked.

"I think you softened him a lot. I tried something we discovered about my power after the thing with Esme and especially after DC. You saw me exert force and make heat, but really that is not my raw power. My energy is mental in the end. And I can at the moment only when I am having a good and lucky day, produce a bit of it and make something a kin to a mind attack. Basically I tried to burn his mind instead of his body. I guessed from your power Xander that it could work, and I was lucky it did," she said and moved warily away from the toppled giant while rubbing her sore neck.

"So what now," Xander asked.

Willow looked at Buffy then back at Xander. "I am not sure. We need to get you some place safe."

"I have a suggestion," Kitty said as she walked up.

"Well, hello there," Xander said and immediately gave her friend his best attempt at a charming smile.

"Oh please," Kitty said and rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile on her lips too. Buffy considered the options and slyly looked from Xander to Kitty and back before glancing at Willow remembering her girlfriend's interest in him too, but Willow looked like her.

"You had an idea?" Willow asked enthusiastically.

"Well, I know Xander might not agree with us politically, but not all of the teachers do either. I mean. I think maybe Xander should come with us to Xavier's at least until he is safe from this guy and others like him," Kitty suggested.

"I don't know," Xander immediately replied. He was clearly not that taken with Xavier's.

"Don't think about the politics, just let us protect you for a while. I promise they won't turn you away. Willow can't come though. Not that she wouldn't be welcome as a visitor, I meant as a student," Buffy suggested.

Xander looked towards Willow who nodded gravely.

"Well alright, but I won't be happy about it," Xander agreed.

"Trust me there will be people out there who won't be happy about it either," Buffy commented and looked at Kitty.

Kitty looked at Buffy and simultaneously they said, "Wolverine."

"I guess I will drive," Willow said and her armor started to fold itself back into the shape of a suitcase.

Epilogue

Giles looked at the television. Willow had been on in her armor last night. Something about stopping a rampaging monster together with that Spider-man person. She had given a nice interview. It had been fascinating to see her as a grown woman out of her armor. Apparently she was dating some nurse and had started her own corporation that gave away most of its profits to charity. Willow was in all the tabloids regularly albeit not willingly unlike the man who had started her on her path of armor wearing heroism.

Tonight however it was a different and a lot more serious matter. Magneto, one of the mutant community's leaders and someone the media portrayed as the mutant equivalent to Osama Bin Laden, had managed to trigger a rampage hundreds of gigantic robots meant to control the mutant threat in case of a war. Now another group of mutants were trying to stop the rogue machines before more innocent humans and mutants were killed. He was watching the footage as Xander yelled for several of mutants in the same X marked uniforms to follow him. They were struggling against the monstrous machines. Xander used his power to decay some robot's arm into the rust and bits before it could grab him, but several more readied their large cannons to shoot him. Xander didn't seem bothered by the mortal threat.

The robots blew up as a big white star of energy appeared overhead and detonated with burning energy. Buffy appeared as a vision of light coalescing into existence as the legs of the melted robots remained surrounding Xander. He waved at her and she flew off. Moments later Willow and Tony Stark appeared along with the Avengers to help defend the midwestern town that the robots had been attacking. The camera's focused their attention on the more media friendly Avengers.

Giles took a sip of coffee and smiled. His former charges were doing well. The world was safe for the moment. Faith and her current watcher and lover were in Cleveland guarding the Hellmouth there with Sunnydale having gone dormant. And Giles could just enjoy a evening of peace. But tomorrow he had a case to solve. A revenant was stalking the area near Glen Coe and so he had been called upon by the Coven and the Watchers. After all he was the Ripper.

**The End**

**End Note:**

I am leaving it here. In effect all comic stories never end and so I decided to stop while the game was good and my muse could be made to give up a few more lines of story. If anyone wants to jump in and write their own continuation, feel free. Me I am off to other pastures.


End file.
